西泠印社：一段不老的传奇故事

118年前，晚清时局动荡，大厦将倾。四个二十多岁、醉心于金石篆刻的年轻人决定不顾外界纷扰，为热爱而捐出家财，成立一个“保存金石，研究印学，兼及书画”的印社，据点就设在杭州西湖孤山之上，取名西泠。

这四个年轻人是丁仁、吴隐、王福庵、叶为铭，他们也被后世称为“西泠四君子”。

这是西泠印社的历史开端，但不是传奇的全部。在众多的历史文化积淀中卓然而立、已逾百年的西泠印社，似一道美丽印记，深深地镌刻在历史之中。

百年西泠 代代传承

沿着白堤一路往西，孤山南麓，过圆洞门拾级而上，眼前茂林掩映，亭台楼阁错落有致，泉石映带曲径通幽，这里便是西泠印社。

西泠印社成立十年未曾设立社长一职，四君子都无心于此。直至1913年，四人力邀当时传奇、晚清民国时期艺术大师吴昌硕成为西泠印社首任社长。在其“石鼓篆书第一人”“文人画最后的高峰”的名望之下，西泠印社吸引了海内外文人学者的目光，得以日渐壮大。

吴昌硕之后，西泠印社的历任社长要么德高望重、要么地位特殊：第二任社长是故宫博物院院长马衡，曾在孤山上设立全国文物保护会浙江分会，以保护西泠印社;第三任社长张宗祥是浙江图书馆馆长、浙江省第一届人大代表，抗战胜利百废待兴时第一个提议恢复印社……若非当世大师，宁可社长空悬——百多年间，社员亦不到400人，且多为名家。

抗战爆发之后，印社中人皆匆匆举家迁往上海避难。临走之前，印社被托付给一位名叫叶六九的朋友。叶六九一守就是八年，最艰难的时候他把牌匾摘下，把藏品都埋入地下，带着全家一步也没离开过孤山。直到抗战胜利，他把一个几乎毫发未伤的印社还了回去。

印社成立第十年，在浙江省立第一师范学校任教的李息加入，成为早期成员。李息，又名李叔同，后来剃度出家成为弘一法师，在每日经过的孤山墙壁上凿了个洞，把自己的93枚印章放进去，全部捐给了西泠印社。

收藏家、银行家葛昌楹比李叔同晚几年加入印社。 他收藏了许多名贵印谱，但是自己并不刻印。有人质疑他不刻印怎么能入西泠印社？于是吴隐和丁仁特意请吴昌硕亲手为他刻了一方印：西泠印社中人。这即肯定了他的身份，也给了年轻人莫大的荣耀。

后来，这方印成为一种更公开的身份象征，出现在每一个社员的入社证书上。

西泠印社就这样在一代代人的努力、一个个君子的承诺和坚守中留存下来，逐渐成为金石领域的圣山。

天下第一名社

西泠印社之所以成为“天下第一名社”，很大程度上源于其在海外尤其是东亚文化圈影响深远。

甲午战争之前，日本著名书法家日下部鸣鹤来到浙江寻求王羲之的书法墨宝，与吴昌硕结交为友，吴昌硕为其刻过许多方印章，他的书法也深受吴昌硕影响。

日下部鸣鹤回到日本后，创立书道鸣鹤流，以吴昌硕为源泉。100多年后的今天，鸣鹤流弟子们依然秉持着一个宗旨 ：不学习吴昌硕的篆书，就无法成为真正的文字学家。1989年，日本鸣鹤流的传人来到西泠印社，立下了一块“吴昌硕日下部鸣鹤结交百年纪念铭志”碑。

日下部鸣鹤有一个学生叫河井仙郎，在老师的引荐下来到中国，加入西泠印社并拜吴昌硕为师，最终成为日本近代篆刻艺术的发起人。而河井仙郎的弟子们一直占据着日本书道界的领袖地位，也一直是吴昌硕的研究者和推广者。

河井仙郎的学生小林斗龛在1981年成为西泠印社的名誉社员。2003年，小林斗龛把那枚遗失了的吴昌硕“西泠印社中人”印章送还——这是他花高價拍卖得来的，百年社庆之际物归原处。

真心热爱以及感激和崇敬面前，钱财不值得吝惜。

1992年，法国人龙乐衡第一次登上孤山，1998年拜入西泠印社刘江门下。他是苏州大学的客座教授，在法国完成了昆曲《十五贯》的法文翻译。弹琴，习书法篆刻，穿长衫，生活得像个中国古代知识分子。

日本北海道书画领军人物大门玉泉来到向往已久的孤山后说：“在这里，我觉得我看到了起点，看到了源头。”

正如2012年西泠印社第七任社长饶宗颐拜谒孤山时题下的那幅字：播芳六合。意在西泠印社播撒文化之芳香于宇宙六合，无远弗届。

孤山不孤，君子有邻。从故宫博物院到敦煌莫高窟再到西泠印社，传统文化正在当代社会生活和语境下试图探寻出更广阔的空间和更多的可能，我们应当为此欢欣鼓舞。兼容并包，求新求变，这是传统文化生生不息的内核。它们从不应被捧上神坛，被高山仰止或慨然弃之。它们就是当下的生活，就是此刻。

中国印学博物馆

1999年，西泠印社建造了专门收藏印章的“中国印学博物馆”，这是一座国家级专业博物馆，也是西泠印社的“展示窗口”，集文献收藏、文物展示、学术交流于一体。

博物馆辟有历代玺印厅、篆刻流派厅、书画厅，以历史演变和印学发展为脉络，陈列了各个时期不同的印章种类，其中有不少藏品为各个时期或流派的经典之作。书画厅会不定期举办各种与印学相关的艺术品展览，不断拓展领域，丰富内容，向世人展现独特高雅的中国印学文化。

谈到印的历史，绕不开的还有在河南安阳殷墟发现的三方铜玺。印在中国文化中一直是个活跃的角色。上至天子达官的玺印，下至平民百姓的印章，在许多传说故事里，都可以找到它的身影。

虽然，古埃及、巴比伦、苏美尔等多个文明形态也曾出现过契刻形式的文字刻符，但以这种形式诞生的文字体系一直传承延续至今的唯有中国的印章，并且成为历史与文明的重要载体之一。

在中国印学博物馆二楼，有着明清以来各位篆刻大家的作品。其中一枚刻有“琴罢倚松玩鹤”内容的印章，所呈现的是一种中国文人士大夫的生活理想和审美，早已脱离印章原来的实用性，成为一种艺术的珍藏品。

在这样的历史文脉中，我们才能领悟西泠印社为什么会成为一道文化印记。

首任社长吴昌硕曾说：“浙派盛行于世，社之立，盖有来由矣。”印社的产生正是得益于印学的兴盛，尤其是印学浙派的形成。清乾隆时，以丁敬为首的“西泠八家”崛起，风格古朴苍劲，力追秦汉，称雄印坛100余年，成为印学史上的一个高峰。

从博物馆出来，绕过山脊，后山石坊旁的巨石碣“百年名社，千秋印学”映入眼帘，这是由启功社长在西泠印社百年诞辰之际所题写的。站在碑前细细品味这8个大字，感慨万千。西泠印社之印，对于构筑一部完整的中国印学史，重要性不言而喻。

仰贤、观乐、四照阁

西泠印社地方不大，却有4座亭子，最早的一座是仰贤亭。

仰贤亭为明代故迹，但年久为墟。现有建筑为1905年印社初创时期所建。1905年春（清光绪三十一年），印社诸君筑亭于此。亭内陈列有介绍丁敬、郑板桥、赵之谦等印人的石刻画像和题赞，亭的三面都悬有匾额，其中正面圆洞门门楣“仰贤亭”匾额为赵朴初题写，东门“仰贤亭”匾额由王个簃书，南墙外“仰贤亭”匾额是1979年9月沙孟海所书。

站在亭内，凝望历代印社名家的石刻画像和题赞，仿佛还能窥见前辈们在此流连的时光。

在西泠印社西侧，游客不会不留意到一个石室。这是一座外表呈正方形的全石建筑，铁栅栏门上加了锁，门内隐约可见一座石碑。这是印社的镇社之宝——“三老讳字忌日碑”，它是现存最古老的汉文石质碑刻，其历史意义和文化价值非同寻常。

1921年秋，有日本商人以8000大洋购买石碑并欲运往国外。华夏古物外流，许多人坐不住了。时任西泠印社社长吴昌硕利用自己的社会影响力，积极倡议并捐献财物，不到一个月的时间，就筹措到了65人捐赠的11270大洋。

当时石碑都已经被运到船上了，但最后還是被重金赎了回来。当年那批西泠印社社员不遗余力地抢救国家历史文化遗存，正是西泠印社贯穿始终的追求，超越了单纯的印学研究范畴。

每逢春天，印社同人都会相约回到这里，合仰先贤、切磋艺事。在祭先贤文抑扬顿挫的宣读声中，整齐队列，祷祝叩首敬香鞠躬。

观乐楼，1920年由印社创始人之一吴隐的重孙吴善庆捐资所建，用来纪念吴氏祖先季札，丁仁撰文，吴昌硕书丹，勒碑记之。季札是春秋时吴国的公子，曾访问鲁国，请求聆听观看周朝等的音乐舞蹈，观乐就由此得名。

1927年夏，吴昌硕曾小住西泠印社观乐楼，1957年观乐楼辟为吴昌硕纪念馆。一楼大门安放吴昌硕半身铜像，铜像两侧陈列着吴昌硕的部分遗作和相关资料。二楼陈列着吴昌硕生前使用的书案、日用家具以及历代社长作品等，同时作为接待重要来宾的场所。

四照阁原为宋代古迹，始建于宋初，为都官关氏之别业。旧阁位置在现华严经塔处，年久阁废。1914年，印社同人重建此阁。泰戈尔、徐志摩、鲁迅等人都来过此阁。四照阁四周皆为明窗，遥对外西湖三岛，为眺望湖山极佳处，现主要作为印社文化休闲经营场所，既接待社员和来宾，也对游客开放。这里是西泠印社的风景最胜处，安坐其中，四面八方的湖光山色尽收眼底。当年创社人之一的叶为铭曾为此撰写了一副对联：“面面有情，环水抱山山抱水;心心相印，因人传地地传人。”

千年印学 播芳六合

柏堂是西泠印社第一建筑群中的主要建筑，位于竹阁东、莲池北。《西泠印社志稿》载：“原迹久圯，清光绪二年重建，俞樾题额。”堂前柏树为1983年西泠印社八十周年纪念会时补种。

柏堂大门门楣上挂有首任社长吴昌硕所题隶书匾额“西泠印社”。室内陈设按江南厅堂布置，家具多为仿明式，配以木刻对联、各式绘画。厅堂坎窗间嵌有大型人物画屏风，画中人物为印社四位创始人和前后五任社长，以西泠印社孤山社址为背景，人称“西泠先贤图”。此外，在柏堂四周墙上还悬挂有印社四位创始人和前后六任社长的人物喷墨画，配有文字介绍。

2012年6月29日，西泠印社第七任社长饶宗颐先生前来履新，在这里为印社题下“播芳六合”4个大字，寓意西泠印社的精神像花儿的芬芳一样，散播到世界各地。后来，在社长颁证仪式上，饶公致辞：印社社员们要具有开阔的视野和博大的胸襟，要把西泠印社放在世界的视野之中，让人们共享中国篆刻艺术这一世界非物质文化遗产。

事实上，近10年来，西泠印社已经开始有意识地走向世界舞台。2010年上海世博会时，西泠印社社员负责为各国领导人篆刻印章。如何让不理解汉字含义的各国领导人感知印文化的魅力？印社有意创新了图形印的概念，为外国领导人篆刻肖像印章。

当这批图形印呈现在各国领导人面前时，他们立即被打动了。普京、默克尔、奥巴马等纷纷认出了自己，他们很高兴自己的形象出现在中国古老的艺术中。此刻，印以最古朴的形态，完成了最贴近“世界语”的交流。

2016年，G20杭州峰会时，西泠印社主办了一场“篆物铭形——图形印与非汉字系统印章”国际学术研讨会，从世界印章史的角度考察其他地域及文化背景中的印章。

2018年，西泠印社115年社庆时，又推出了“世界图纹与印记”主题研讨会，不断拓宽印学文化国际化范畴。

沙孟海社长曾说，所有的印社中，没有一个像西泠那样有强大的覆盖全国全世界的学术力量。”沙孟海社长更是提出要把西泠印社打造成国际印学研究中心，真正发挥引领印风的作用。

涛声听东浙，印学话西泠。在这一辈西泠印人看来，“印”的天地越来越大。西泠印社，天然具备“播芳六合”的责任和担当。

Xiling Seal Art Society： Timeless Legend

The Xiling Seal Art Society was founded in 1904 when the Qing Dynasty （1644-1911） was about to fall apart. The organization was set up by four young seal art specialists determined to preserve the ancient art. The four founding fathers， namely Ding Ren， Wu Yin， Wang Fuan and Ye Weiming all in their 20s， are now known as Four Gentlemen of Xiling. They joined hands in founding this society in the hope of preserving and improving the ancient seal art whereas paying attention to calligraphy and painting. The society was founded by the funds raised by the four and set up at Solitary Hill on the West Lake in Hangzhou. The society was named after Xiling Bridge， near which is the society.

This is how the Xiling Seal Art Society started.

For about ten years after the inception in 1904， the society did not have a president. The four young artists had no heart in engaging in administrative issues. In 1913， they invited Wu Changsuo （1844-1927） to preside over the society. Wu had been a legendary seal artist， calligrapher， and painting master of the late Qing and the early Republic years. With Wu as the president， the Xiling Seal Art Society attracted the attention of the literary and artistic circles both at home and abroad. Since Wu Changshuo， the presidents of the society have been celebrated scholars or personages of great renown. The second president was Ma Heng， who was also the curator of the Forbidden City Museum. The third president was Zhang Zongxiang， the president of Zhejiang Library. After Chinas war of resistance against the Japanese aggressors ended in 1945， Zhang brought the society back to normalcy. If the society cant find a scholar or master prominent enough to be its head， the vacancy will stay. It has been so since 1904. Moreover， for the past 100 plus years， the society has had no more than 400 members.

Many of these members are key chapters in the history of the society and some are important persons in the history of Chinese art. It goes without saying that Wu Changshuo is one of the greatest artists in the history of the Chinese art in the 20th century. Li Shutong （1880-1942） who joined Xiling Seal Art society in its first decade is another legend in the history of Chinese art， culture and literature. He studied in Japan.

He was a rounded personage. He did many “firsts” in the history of Chinese art and culture. He became a Buddhist monk in 1918 at the age of 38 after he donated 93 seals to the society.

Ye Liujiu is a name that must be mentioned in the history of the society. After Chinas War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression broke out in full in 1937， important members of the society all went into refuge. The houses at the Solitary Hill on the West Lake were left in the care of Ye Liujiu， a native of Hangzhou. Hangzhou was occupied by the Japanese soldiers during the whole war. When they surrendered in 1945， the assets of the society at the Solitary Hill were intact thanks to Ye Liujiu.

Ren Yin， one of the four founders of the society， wrote in his will that the society should never change its name and that Ye Liujius family must be taken good care of.

Number One Society under the Sun

Among circles of artists and calligraphers， Xiling Seal Art Society is exaggeratingly reputed as “Number One Society under the Sun”. The claim is not completely true， but the overstatement reflects the position of the society not only in China but also in Japan.

In the 1890s， a Japanese calligrapher named Kusakabe Meikaku （1838-1922） came to visit Zhejiang in search of the handwritings of Wang Xizhi， presumably the greatest Chinese calligrapher in ancient China. Meikaku made friends with Wu Changshuo， then the most prominent calligrapher in the region. Wu carved some seals for the Japanese friend.

After Meikaku returned to Japan， he established the Meikaku School of calligraphy， designating Wu as the very foundation of the school.

Even today， Wus achievement in calligraphy is a must-study for calligraphers of the Meikaku School. In 1989， some representatives from the society set up a stone stele at Xiling Seal Art Society to mark the 100th anniversary of the meeting of Wu Changshuo and Kusakabe Meikaku.

China Seal Studies Museum

China Seal Studies Museum， the only one of its kind in China， is a window of Xiling Seal Art Society. Founded in 1999， the museum showcases the history， culture， and aesthetics of seal carving of China. It has a collection of seal art literature， it exhibits seals and other seal-related objects， and it is a venue for cultural and academic exchanges.

Seal carving in China goes back to a long time ago. Archaeologists discovered three bronze seals at the Yin ruins at Anyang in Henan Province.

The ruins date back to the Shang Dynasty （1600-1046BC）. In ancient times， seals were pragmatically used in official affairs.

In the Ming （1368-1644） and the Qing （1644-1911）， seals and stamps were no longer confined to government documents and government affairs. Men of letters and artists used seals to express their thought and sentiments and to showcase their individual aesthetics.

Viewed from this historical perspective， it would be relatively easy to understand why seal art thrived in Zhejiang which， it is said， accounts for half of the history of Chinese art.

In the early Qing Dynasty， seal artists in Zhejiang established themselves as masters who ushered in a renaissance of seal carving and pioneered a new path for future explorations in the field.

Buildings at Xiling Society

Though the venue of the Xiling Seal Art Society is small at the western end of Solitary Hill on the West Lake， it boasts some very significant buildings. The oldest building on the venue is Yangxian Pavilion rebuilt in 1905 on the site of the namesake structure erected in the Ming Dynasty. This pavilion serves as a show room exhibiting carved images and inscriptions of various masters in the history of art， seal-carving， and calligraphy.

On the west side of the venue stands a small stone house. Through the wrought-iron door visitors could see a stone monument. This stone structure with a carved inscription dates back to the Han Dynasty （206BC-220AD） and is the oldest one of its kind in China.

In the autumn of 1921， a Japanese businessman purchased the stone stele for 8，000 silver dollars and was ready to ship it back to Japan. Wu Changshuo， then president of Xiling Seal Art Society， called for donations so that the stele could be bought back and stay in China. Within a month 65 donors chipped in 11，270 silver dollars. The stele came to stay at Xiling Seal Art Society.

Guanyue Pavilion was built in 1920 with the funds donated by Wu Shanqing， a great grandson of Wu Yin， one of the four founders of the society. In the summer of 1927， Wu Changshuo stayed at the pavilion. In 1957， the pavilion was turned into Wu Changshuo Memorial Museum. Sizhao Pavilion was rebuilt in 1914 on the site of a building of the Song Dynasty.

Tagore， Xu Zhimo and Lu Xun visited the pavilion once. The pavilion has large windows on four sides， a vantage spot for a commanding view of the West Lake.

Going International

In the last 10 years or so， the society has intensified its efforts to go international. Seal artists of Xiling created seals for 2010 Shanghai World Exposition.

These seals featured images of then world leaders and were presented on various occasions. These engraved images were well received.

During the 2016 G20 Summit in Hangzhou， the society hosted an international seminar on graphic seals and seals that bore non-Chinese languages. Attendees explored the history of worlds seal carving and examined seals in other parts of the world against different cultural backdrops.

In 2018 Xiling Seal Art Society celebrated its 115th anniversary and held an international seminar on worlds seal arts.