Scripture Book《写经册》

Liang Tongshu (1723~1817)
Liang Tongshu, also known as Yuanying, Shanzhou, Buweng, and Xinwu Changweng, was a prominent political figure and calligrapher during the Qing Dynasty. Born in Qiantang, which is now known as Hangzhou, Zhejiang, he began his official career in the 17th year of Qianlong’s reign (1752) as a lecturer. Liang was a master of both regular and running script calligraphy, having studied under Yan Zhenqing and Liu Gongquan, and later Famifu. He combined these styles to create his own unique mastery of the art. Along with Liu Yong, Weng Fanggang, and Wang Wenzhi, he was known as one of the “Four Masters of Tie Xue” in the Qing Dynasty, and was associated with Liang Guan and Liang Guozhi as the “Three Liangs.”

This book was written in the fourth year of Jiaqing, when Liang was 77 years old. The back of the inscription bears a small long seal in Zhu Wen of “Mizhong Beiren.” Wu Changhai (Xunpu) signed the seal in regular script, Chen Hongshou signed the fan page in official script, and the last page bears the seal of “Shu Zhai Approval” by Jin Tingke and Gao Xianglin Baoyan. It also bears a Zhai collection seal. The first eight chapters are titled “Offerings of the Dharma Taught by Vimalakīrti,” and the last ten chapters are titled “The Immeasurable Sutra of Virtue.” Liang’s small regular script throughout the book is agile, casual, and natural, without any rigidity. It appears neat and varied, calm and vivid, and has high artistic value in calligraphy.

梁同书（1723~1817），字元颖，号山舟，晚号不翁、新吾长翁等，钱塘（今浙江杭州）人。清代政治人物、书法家。乾隆十七年（1752）进士，官至侍读加侍讲。工于楷、行书，初学颜真卿、柳公权，中年取法米芾，以后融汇贯通，与刘墉、翁方纲、王文治并称清代“帖学四大家”，又与梁巘、梁国治并称“三梁”。
此册书于嘉庆四年其77岁时。款后钤有“迷中倍人”朱文小长印，封版由吴昌海（莼浦）楷书署签，扇页有陈鸿寿隶书署签，尾页有金庭客的“恕斋审定”印和高芗林宝砚斋收藏印等。前八开写的是“维摩诘所说法供养品”，后十开写的是“无量义经德行品”。全册小楷运笔灵捷，随意自然，全无刻板习气，显得整齐而富有变化，沉着中寓生动，有较高的书法艺术价值。