Introduction
It is said that antithetical couplets (duilian) originated with pairs of auspiciously worded sentences during the Five Dynasties period (907-960), and then gradually developed into calligraphic couplets written on an “upper scroll” and a “lower scroll” (referring to the first and second lines). Because antithetical couplets were originally usually affixed to the columns at the entrances to halls and dwellings, they are also sometimes called yinglian, or “column couplets.” As history marched forward, the literati found clever ways of putting lines of poetry, lyrics, and stylized prose called pianwen into antithesis as they carefully crafted the couplets that, with the help of beautiful calligraphy, would decorate the walls of halls and scholarly studios. Antithetical couplets are universally beloved by calligraphers, and today they remain an important form of calligraphy found in our exhibitions. The numbers of characters in antithetical couplets are not bound by the limitations of poetry written in regulated verse with five or seven characters per line—instead, these couplets can have just a single character per line, or a great many. Moreover, antithetical couplets tend not to strictly adhere to the rules that govern tonal patterns or antithesis in poetry, which has allowed them to become a unique literary form in their own right. Alongside the flourishing of antithetical couplet culture, producers of calligraphy paper have also innovated, creating a variety of ways to decorate the paper couplets are written on. They added gridlines, dusted paper with gold, dyed it, printed it with floral patterns, or even painted flowers onto the paper. When paired with different calligraphic styles, these papers become extraordinarily beautiful. Even in the present day, antithetical couplets continue to be widely used throughout society. Couplets written to celebrate the Lunar New Year, offer words of congratulation, or decorate temples remain an inseparable part of people’s lives.
Most of this exhibition’s selections are outstanding antithetical couplets that entered the National Palace Museum’s collections through donation, entrustment to the museum’s care, or purchase in recent years. Beyond choosing these works for their distinctive charms and literary grace, we also carefully selected pieces written in five major types of calligraphy—seal script, clerical script, cursive, running script, and regular script—as it is our aspiration to provide visitors with an overview of the historical evolution of calligraphic styles. Not only do these newly acquired works of calligraphy greatly expand the scope and scale of the NPM’s holdings, with their rich and diverse contents, they serve to open a new chapter in the museum’s collecting of calligraphy and painting.