滿清皇朝的覆亡，標誌著新時代的來臨。能夠延續傳統並結合新時代環境對書法發展作出貢獻的，當以「遺老」為核心的書法家群為代表。然而，過去的研究僅針對遺老鬻書的風尚，其於書藝上的成就也只被視為清代碑學的餘緒，未能把遺老書法置於與時代相適應的文化環境中作出討論，更未能凸顯他們結合新出土書法材料所開創的新風尚。甲骨、漢簡乃至敦煌經卷這些出土文物為二十世紀書法發展的重要材料，對書法審美及創作影響巨大。正是生活在新舊時代交接點的部分遺老書法家率先參與甲骨文、漢晉簡牘等新出土書法材料的整理與研究，不但形成新的書學觀點，也建立起新的書風，為二十世紀中國書法的新走向奠下基礎。

In the early twentieth-century, groups of “Yilao” calligraphers emerged after the downfall of the Qing Empire. These “Yilao” calligraphers took a loyal political stand towards the old regime, insisted on continuing the traditional ways of cultivation and artistic creation in spite of the rapid social and cultural changes. Because of their resistance to the new movement of reformation, they have generally been criticized by historians as conservative and conventional, and the importance of their calligraphy has also been very much neglected. However, as a part of history, these “Yilao” did play an important role in the development of early twentieth-century Chinese calligraphy. With their profound traditional learning, rich collection of calligraphy and new archaeological discoveries, they generated new calligraphy theories as well as artistic style. This paper discusses the calligraphy of these “Yilao”, so as to re-evaluate the significance of “Yilao” calligraphers and re-position them as the pioneers in the development of twentieth-century Chinese calligraphy.

遺老; 遺老書法; 二十世紀中國書法; 新出土書法; 甲骨文; 漢簡

“Yilao”; “Yilao” calligraphers; twentieth-century Chinese calligraphy; new archaeological discoveries; inscriptions on oracle bones; writings on bamboo and wooden slips