Modern Day Chinese Calligraphy
Image source: (2020, September 24) The art of Chinese calligraphy. Meer, https://www.meer.com/en/63496-the-art-of-chinese-calligraphy
Prehistoric Calligraphy in the East
Rarely is our attention brought to the delicate strokes of ink that form strings of elegant text. Everyone seems to get lost in the literal meaning of writing, forgetting that aesthetic beauty tells a story. The topic of written language in China particularly intrigued me during our discussion in class. In the ancient Eastern world, words seemed to come alive. The ink spun its tale as it danced across the paper, perfectly imperfect, communicating through its dynamic movements and brush strokes.
Evolution of Script
As Chinese script evolved, so did aesthetics. Over time intricate pictograms became abstracted and easier to write. However, many of the characters retained the elements of shape and form of previous iterations. Naturally, as the written language evolved, we saw a rise in artists experimenting with the expression of characters. The development of written Chinese has six notable stages (Yee, 2019). However, the following paragraphs will only cover three archaic writing styles.
Jiaguwen
During the Shang Dynasty (18th to 12th century BCE), the discovery of engraved text uncovered the beginnings of a cherished art form in China. Jiaguwen (oracle bone script) was the earliest evidence of advanced visual communication in the Eastern world. Early Chinese characters constituted complex illustrations that reflected the word they were trying to communicate. Individuals who recorded the logograms were diligent in their efforts. Before etching text into bits of bone and shell, ink served to map out the placement of the words (Olson, 2014, Brittanica, 2017). Over time, the art of writing would flourish into a beloved art form.
Seal Script Style (c. 1200 BCE)
Zhuanshu (seal script style) made its first appearance around 1200 BCE. During the 3rd century, it became popular among scribers. Even line thickness, rounded edges, and circles, ideal for carving, defined seal script. Characters fit well-balanced and evenly spaced squares. Originally, scribers created seal script to meet the rising demand for record-keeping. However, the precise nature and arrangement of the style made it difficult to write with speed. (Yee, 2019, Cartwright, 2017, White, 2022). Future versions of the script would improve upon the shortcomings of zhuanshu.
Clerical Script Style (c. 206 BCE)
Li Shu – or clerical script became standardized during the Han Dynasty. Sharp, angular lines, uneven line thickness, and rectangular shapes of the characters made up the basis of clerical script. These characteristics contrast the preceding seal script style of the Qin dynasty. The clerical script style was much more suitable for fast and easy record-keeping (Cartwright, 2017, Yee, 2019, White, 2022). It is astounding that many of the characters from this era are still recognizable in modern-day Chinese script and calligraphy.
Comparison of Chinese Script Styles
By Vectorization: Alhadis – Own work based on: Comparison of Chinese characters for autumn.png by Pat457, who based their character drawings on surviving glyphs found in Multi-function Chinese Character Database., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=114793806
This chart interestingly illustrates how many ancient characters resemble one another – for example, “Child” underwent minimal alterations.
Image source: Peyraube, A. (2008, January) Development of the Chinese script. Ancient Chinese. https://www.researchgate.net/figure/1-Development-of-the-Chinese-script_tbl1_288175955
The image depicts the four primary tools a calligrapher utilizes during their work – ink, ink-stone, paper, and brush.
(2019, September 26). Invaluable, https://www.invaluable.com/blog/chinese-calligraphy/
Writing Tools
“The Four Treasures” – Micunovic, 2020
Throughout history, China has kept writing simple and elegant. The invention of ink, ink-stone, brushes, and paper provided an outlet for creativity (Smithsonian, 2020, Cartwright, 2017). Talented artists brought life into words using these tools. Many continue to carry down ancient techniques, proving how strong the foundation of Chinese culture is.
References
Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2014, March 14). Chinese writing. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved October 2, 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Chinese-writing
Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2017, December 4). Dazhuan. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved October 2, 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/dazhuan
Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2021, November 21). Jiaguwen. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved October 2, 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/art/jiaguwen
Cartwright, M. (2017, October 16). Ancient chinese calligraphy. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved October 2, 2022, from https://www.worldhistory.org/Chinese_Calligraphy/
Cartwright, M. (2017, September 15). Paper in ancient China. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved October 2, 2022, from https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1120/paper-in-ancient-china/
Smithsonian National Museum of Art. (2020, March 25). Four treasures of a scholar’s studio (文房四寶). Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art. Retrieved October 2, 2022, from https://asia.si.edu/learn/chinas-calligraphic-arts/four-treasures/
White, C. M. (n.d.). Chinese calligraphy: Asia for educators: Columbia University. Chinese Calligraphy | Asia for Educators | Columbia University. Retrieved October 2, 2022, from http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/special/china_1000bce_calligraphy.htm
Yee, C. (2019, January 17). Chinese calligraphy. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved October 2, 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/art/Chinese-calligraphy