In Chinese calligraphy, the third century CE--corresponding to the Three Kingdoms (220-280) and Western Chin (265-316) period--witnessed the maturation of various script forms. Thereafter, applications for regular, running, and cursive scripts became increasingly widespread, flourishing to form a new trend. During the fourth century in the Eastern Chin dynasty (317-420), calligraphers thereupon strove to forge writing as an art form as they explored how to make brush strokes more natural and aesthetically pleasing. Pursuing the dual beauties of “skill” and “naturalness,” both ancient and modern forms of writing were combined to achieve a realm of utmost beauty and perfection in calligraphy. The most typical representative of this trend was Wang Hsi-chih (303-361), who was praised as the “Sage of Calligraphy” by later generations.王羲之（303－361），祖籍山東，出身仕族世家，西晉末南渡，徙居浙江會稽。曾官右軍將軍，會稽內史，東晉永和年間（345－356）去職，與 東土名士盡山水之游。熱衷詩歌，音樂與書法。他學書歷程是由近而古，轉益多師，取資廣博，尤其精研體勢，將秦篆漢隸各種不同的筆法，融於真行草體中，形成 最佳體勢，所以唐朝人稱頌他「兼撮眾法，備成一家，為萬世宗師」。
這是一件行楷書短簡，前後都有署名具禮，內容是大雪之後 向友人問候。明代鑑賞家詹景鳳指出，此蹟筆法圓勁古雅，意態閑逸，對趙孟頫的行書有很深的影響。從用筆來看，此帖多圓鈍的用筆，點畫勾挑都不露鋒，結體平 穩勻稱，在優美的姿態之中，流露出質樸內斂的意韻。乾隆皇帝極珍愛此蹟，譽之為「天下無雙，古今鮮對」。乾隆十一年，他將此蹟與王獻之的「中秋帖」，王珣 的「伯遠帖」合稱「三希」，寶藏在「三希堂」中。此帖一般認為是唐代精摹本。
釋文：羲之頓首。快雪時晴。佳想安善。未果為結。力不次。王羲之頓首。山陰張侯。
Photo and text both by 國立故宮博物院 National Palace Museum in Taipei, Taiwan.
