【Commentary】Ancient brick collection has a deep history, as early as the Tang and Song Dynasties, literati and ink scholars used ancient bricks as a hobby of inkstone. Since the Qin and Han dynasties, almost every ancient brick in historical era has survived physically, and the inscriptions on the ancient bricks are rich in content, and the calligraphy style is complete, which has irreplaceable academic value.
Xi'an collector Xie Tao was obsessed with calligraphy and also developed a strong interest in ancient bricks with inscriptions, and the exquisite fonts inscribed on the ancient bricks made him inexplicably fond of such antiquities.
【Contemporaneous】Ancient brick collector Xie Tao
The time span of these ancient bricks I collect is probably from the Han to the Ming and Qing dynasties, and in the process of my collection, I can feel the changes in this book style, and to sum up the truth, grass, subordinate, and seal, because I write calligraphy, in the process of practicing calligraphy in the past few years, I have absorbed a lot of calligraphy nutrition from these ancient bricks.
【Commentary】In the process of collecting, Xie Tao found that in addition to the inscribed chronology, there were many common single surnames and rare compound surnames on the ancient bricks, and then came up with the idea of collecting surnames ancient bricks.
Xie Tao said frankly that in order to collect ancient bricks over the years, he not only spent energy, but also spent a lot of savings. At first, the family did not understand and felt that it was not worth it for him to spend his savings on these objects, but later, he was still moved by Xie Tao's "stubbornness" and persistence.
【Contemporaneous】Ancient brick collector Xie Tao
This collection of ancient bricks has been until now, there are about 3000,300 pieces, of which there are nearly 1000 surnames, probably this (with) surname is about <>,<> pieces.
Looking at the neatly placed ancient bricks on the bookshelf, Xie Tao said with a smile, whenever he saw them, he would feel that his body and mind would calm down, and the ancient bricks of different eras, inscriptions and patterns on this shelf revealed the vicissitudes of time.
When you touch the inscriptions on the ancient bricks, it is as if you see the craftsmen carving out this ravine with the tools in their hands, and then forming exquisite inscriptions and portraits.
【Contemporaneous】Ancient brick collector Xie Tao
These ancient bricks record surnames, calligraphy, and portraits and other information, through these ancient bricks we can see a process of development and change in history, I want to preserve these ancient bricks through my own collection, so that our descendants, can see the history and culture recorded on these ancient bricks.
Reporting by Gao Cheng, Mei Yilong, and Xi'an
Responsible Editor: [Fang Jialiang]