The Northern School’s Theory of Calligraphy and Other Essays

A fashionable theory of calligraphy meets a historian’s skeptical eye. An imperial library opens its shelves, and the arrangement of books becomes evidence for the history of learning.

These four essays explore the northern school of Chinese calligraphy, the Complete Library of the Four Treasuries at Wensu Pavilion, the development of Chinese bibliography, and writings on dyeing and weaving.

Naitō Konan moves between surviving manuscripts, catalogues, classical quotations, and preserved textiles. His arguments reveal how easily an inherited name or attractive theory can conceal changes across centuries.