Wang Xianzhi

A calligrapher from the Eastern Jin Dynasty in China. The seventh son of the calligraphy master Wang Xizhi. A native of Langya Linyi (Shandong Province). His pen name was Zijing. He was also known as Wang Daling, having served as Secretary, General Jianwei, and Governor of Wuxing before becoming the Chief Secretary. He learned calligraphy from his father from an early age, and of Xizhi's seven sons and one daughter, the youngest, Xianzhi, was the most gifted, and created a style of calligraphy that was full of genius. In Song Dynasty's Yang Xin's "Names of Ancient Calligraphers," he was described as "good at making servant straw (regular script). His strength was not as great as his father's, but his charm was greater than his father's." In later generations, he was called "Little King" in contrast to his father, who was called "Great King," and was referred to as the second king or Xi Xian. He died at the age of 45 in the 13th year of Taiyuan, and was posthumously awarded the titles of Shichu, Korok Taifu, and Taisai, and given the posthumous name of Xian. His famous works include "Thirteen Lines of Luo Shenfu" in small regular script, "Dihuang Tang Album" in cursive script, and "Chu-Autumn Album" and "Otou Ganjo" in cursive script.

[Hiroshi Kakui]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、東晋(とうしん)時代の書家。書聖王羲之(おうぎし)の第7子。琅邪(ろうや)臨沂(りんぎ)（山東省）の人。字(あざな)は子敬。秘書郎、建威将軍、呉興太守を経て中書令に至ったため、王大令ともいわれる。幼時より父に書を学んだが、羲之の7男1女のなかでは年少の献之がもっとも書の天分に恵まれ、逸気に富む書風を創始した。宋(そう)の羊欣(ようきん)『古来能書人名』に「隷藁(れいこう)（楷草(かいそう)）を能(よ)くす。骨勢は父に及ばないが、媚趣(びしゅ)は父以上だ」と評されており、後世、父を大王とよぶに対して小王とよばれ、二王あるいは羲献と並称された。太元13年、45歳で没し、侍中(じちゅう)、特進光禄大夫(こうろくたいふ)、太宰(たいさい)を追贈され、憲と諡(おくりな)された。小楷の『洛神賦(らくしんふ)十三行』、行草の『地黄湯帖(ちおうとうじょう)』、草書の『中秋帖』『鴨頭丸帖(おうとうがんじょう)』が著名の作である。

［角井　博］

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