Pingfu tie

The Pingfu tie (simplified Chinese: 平复帖; traditional Chinese: 平復帖), also spelled as Pingfutie or Ping Fu Tie, is a work of calligraphy on paper by Lu Ji (261–303 CE).^[1]^[2] It is widely recognized as the oldest extant Chinese calligraphic masterwork in the world, or more precisely, the oldest surviving piece of Chinese calligraphy written by a well-known master himself.^{[note 1]}

This calligraphic artwork, which is over 1,700 years old,^[3] is now housed in the permanent collection of the Palace Museum in the Forbidden City in Beijing, China.^[5]^[6] It is only showcased once every 5 years.^[7]

Notes

↑ Although there are prior extant Chinese calligraphic writings on other mediums (other than paper), Pingfu tie is recognized as the earliest calligraphy as an actual masterpiece. And although there are many recorded Chinese calligraphers existed before Lu Ji, such as Li Si, Cai Yong, Zhang Zhi, and Zhong Yao, etc., Lu Ji's Pingfu tie is widely known as the oldest authentic work that is by the master calligrapher himself.^[3]^[4] It is also different than many other famous Jin dynasty calligraphic works such as the Lantingji Xu by Wang Xizhi, which survives only in faithful copies by later artists.

References

↑ Escande, Yolaine. "Calligraphy and Painting." The Rise of Rhythm Studies: Mediating Dimension, Discipline, and Scale (2025): 195.
↑ 梁继. "平复帖." 鞍山师范学院学报 11, no. 005 (2009): 20-23.
1 2 Chan, C. K., & Yi, X. (2023). Raw materials of Chinese traditional handmade paper. Paper and Biomaterials, 8(3), 58-65. "A Consoling Letter (Pingfu tie), was written over 1700 years ago. It is a letter by Lu Ji (261–303) of the Western Jin period (265–316) and is believed to be the oldest extant work of calligraphy by a well-known artist."
↑ Zhang, Qizhi. "The treasure house of ancient Chinese literature and art." In An Introduction to Chinese History and Culture, pp. 319-351. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2015.
↑ 佐藤利行. "A Calligraphic Study of Luji's Pingfutie." Hiroshima interdisciplinary studies in the humanities 3 (2004): 63-67.
↑ Richter, A. (2013). Letters and epistolary culture in early medieval China (p. 139). Seattle: University of Washington Press.
↑ 余辉等.看见故宫中国历史.湖南文艺出版社, 2023.

[5] Although there are prior extant Chinese calligraphic writings on other mediums (other than paper), Pingfu tie is recognized as the earliest calligraphy as an actual masterpiece. And although there are many recorded Chinese calligraphers existed before Lu Ji, such as Li Si, Cai Yong, Zhang Zhi, and Zhong Yao, etc., Lu Ji's Pingfu tie is widely known as the oldest authentic work that is by the master calligrapher himself.^[3]^[4] It is also different than many other famous Jin dynasty calligraphic works such as the Lantingji Xu by Wang Xizhi, which survives only in faithful copies by later artists.

[1] Escande, Yolaine. "Calligraphy and Painting." The Rise of Rhythm Studies: Mediating Dimension, Discipline, and Scale (2025): 195.

[2] 梁继. "平复帖." 鞍山师范学院学报 11, no. 005 (2009): 20-23.

[Chan-3] 1 2 Chan, C. K., & Yi, X. (2023). Raw materials of Chinese traditional handmade paper. Paper and Biomaterials, 8(3), 58-65. "A Consoling Letter (Pingfu tie), was written over 1700 years ago. It is a letter by Lu Ji (261–303) of the Western Jin period (265–316) and is believed to be the oldest extant work of calligraphy by a well-known artist."

[4] Zhang, Qizhi. "The treasure house of ancient Chinese literature and art." In An Introduction to Chinese History and Culture, pp. 319-351. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2015.

[6] 佐藤利行. "A Calligraphic Study of Luji's Pingfutie." Hiroshima interdisciplinary studies in the humanities 3 (2004): 63-67.

[7] Richter, A. (2013). Letters and epistolary culture in early medieval China (p. 139). Seattle: University of Washington Press.

[8] 余辉等.看见故宫中国历史.湖南文艺出版社, 2023.

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