The Orchid Pavilion Preface with the Mark of Shenlong
Acclaimed as the "greatest work in running script under heaven", The Orchid Pavilion Preface is a masterpiece by Wang Xizhi, a renowned calligrapher in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420).
The original work has been lost, but many duplicates have been preserved to this day, of which the most famous is The Orchid Pavilion Preface with the mark of Shenlong.
Most agree that this piece was a copy by Feng Chengsu, a rubbing expert in the Tang Dynasty. The calligraphic work was so named because it carries the halved seal of Shenlong, the reign title of Li Xian, or Emperor Zhongzong of the Tang Dynasty.
The literati in the Eastern Jin Dynasty often held meetings known as yaji (elegant gatherings).
In 353, Wang Xizhi and a group of his friends performed xiuxi (a ritual to pray for blessings and ward off disasters by bathing and playing in rivers in ancient China) at the Orchid Pavilion. There, they basked in the spring breeze in hopes of escaping misfortune.
They sat by a running stream and floated a wine cup on it. When the cup stopped before a person, he had to drink the wine and compose a poem. This practice was known as "drifting cups on a meandering stream".
The poems they composed were later made into a collection, with Wang Xizhi writing a preface for it to describe the scene of the gathering and express his feelings. From then on, "drifting cups on a meandering stream" gradually became an elegant pastime popular among the literati.
The Orchid Pavilion Preface with the mark of Shenlong is an exquisite copy featuring fluent and dynamic strokes, which not only maintains the changes on the original work, but also displays the charm of free writing and high artistic value.
神龙本《兰亭序》
《兰亭序》是东晋书法家王羲之的名作，被誉为“天下第一行书”。原作已不知所终，有众多复本传世。其中最著名的神龙本《兰亭序》，相传为唐代拓书人冯承素勾摹。因画心首尾分别有唐中宗李显的神龙年号半印，故称“神龙本”。
东晋文人流行雅集活动。永和九年（353），王羲之与多位友人在兰亭行修禊（xì)之礼（中国古代的一种风俗，到水边洗濯嬉游，并举行祈福消灾的仪式），沐浴春风，去除晦气和不祥。他们围坐在流水边，将盛满酒的羽觞顺水漂下，羽觞受阻停在谁面前，谁就要饮酒作诗，此即曲水流觞。诗汇成诗集，由王羲之现场作序，记录当时盛况并抒发内心感慨。曲水流觞也因此逐渐成为一种文人雅事。
神龙本《兰亭序》摹写精美，字的笔画结构自然生动，既保留了原作的改写痕迹，又像自由书写一般充满神韵，具有极高的艺术价值。
