Suo Jing 索靖

In the history of Chinese calligraphy, the works of calligraphy are generally classified into the Southern or North schools. The calligraphers of both schools practiced the calligraphy of Zhong Yao and Wei Guan. Suo Jing was the founder of the Northern school, and Wang Xizhi and his son Xianzhi founded the Southern school.
As a person who was named the founder of Northern school or the School of Stele Calligraphy, Suo Jing naturally occupied an important place in the Chinese calligraphy history.
Suo Jing (239-303) was a calligrapher lived in the Western Jin period. He was the grandson of the sister of the famous calligrapher Zhang Zhi of Eastern Han dynasty. Therefore, his calligraphy was greatly influenced by Zhang Zhi. He was famous for his Caoshu, or the running/cursive script, especially Zhangcao (a kind of Caoshu which was evolved from Lishu, or the Clerical script).
During the time of Emperor Wu of Jin, both Suo and Wei worked in the same State office. Wei was the Chief State Secretary and Suo the State Undersecretary. As both were good in calligraphy and each had his own style, they were known as ‘Two Wonders in One Office’. This is to say that both had inherited the calligraphy tradition of Zhang Zhi. Someone commented later, ‘Wei has mastered Zhang’s quality of muscle and Suo has mastered Zhang’s quality of flesh.’ (The Chinese traditional aesthetic theory has valuated individual brush strokes according to four qualities, namely, bone, flesh, muscle and blood.)
Suo’s calligraphy available today include ‘Chushi Song’ (Eulogy of Launching the Campaign), ‘Yueyi Tie’, and ‘Jijiu Zhang’ (Hurriedly Written Essay).  Suo’s works were included in the famous Chunhuage Tie (a collection of model calligraphic works) produced in Song dynasty. Suo’s calligraphy influenced greatly the later calligraphers. The famous calligraphy Ouyang Xun of Tang dynasty was well known for his paying attention to calligraphic techniques and he seldom praised ancient calligraphers. Once, he saw the calligraphy of Suo carved on a slab stone, he was so attracted to it that he couldn’t bear to leave the place. So he stayed there for a few days so that he can appreciate and study the calligraphy in details.
‘Chushi Song’ was collected by Wang Shimao of Song dynasty. During Qing dynasty, it was first collected by An Yizhou and later became part of the collection of the Qing Court. On 9 November 1922, Fu Yi brought it out of Qing Court, on the pretext that it was to be given to Fu Jie. Since 1945, it disappeared among the people and in 2003, it miraculously re-appeared.
In Jul 2003, the China Guardian Auctions Co., Ltd announced its plan to auction it, claiming that it was the only authentic work of Suo Jing and classified it as ‘the oldest Chinese calligraphic work available’, ‘amazing re-appearance of calligraphic masterpiece of Western Jin’ and ‘currently the only discovered authentic work of Suo Jing’. On 10 July 2003, the Palace Museum in Beijing shocked the world by buying the ancient calligraphy work for 22 million Chinese yuan.
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在中国书法史上，向有南北书派之说。一般上认为，南北两派书法皆出于钟繇、卫瓘，而索靖为北派之祖，王羲之、王献之父子则为南派之祖。
因为被视为北派，或碑学之祖，索靖在书法史上就自然而然的占了一个重要的地位。
索靖（239一303年），西晋书法家。他是东汉著名书法家张芝姊之孙，书法上受张芝影响很深。以善写草书知名于世，尤精章草（章草是隶书草化后的书体）。晋武帝时，他和另一大书法家卫瓘同在尚书台供职。卫瓘为尚书令，索靖为尚书郎。由于二人在书法艺术上独具风格，当时被人们誉为“一台二妙”。他们二人的书法与张芝有很深的师承关系。后人评价道：“瓘得伯英（张芝字）筋，靖得伯英肉”。（中国传统美学欣赏书法线条的四种品质：骨、肉、筋、血。）

索靖流传后世的书法作品有《出师表》、《月仪帖》、《急就章》等。宋代著名的《淳化阁帖》也收集了索靖的墨迹。他的书法对后世影响很大。唐代书法家欧阳询平生最重法度，不肯轻易推许古人。一次，他路见索靖书写的碑石后，竟卧于碑下，朝夕摩掌，不忍离去。

《出师表》墨迹本，在明代归王世懋，清归安仪周，后入清宫石渠宝笈收藏。民国十一年（1922）十一月初九日溥仪以赏赐溥杰名义携出宫外。一九四五年散落民间，于2003年奇迹般地出现。

2003年7月，嘉德拍卖行宣布将拍卖索靖惟一真迹《出师颂》，并将此作品定性为“中国现存最早的书法作品”、“西晋书法珍宝惊现”、“迄今为止发现的索靖惟一墨迹”等等。2003年7月10日北京故宫博物院以人民币两千二百万天价购买该作，轰动一时。