Chinese Calligraphy

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In China,a person who can produce beautiful calligraphy is considered to be highly cultured.

Chinese calligraphy is based on the structure and meaning of Chinese characters. Brush and ink are utilized to create works of art that embody the calligrapher’s unique character and style. The history of Chinese calligraphy and that of Chinese characters are closely intertwined, both reaching back to the earliest oracle bone script and forward to the modern development of simplified characters. As the styles and aesthetics of Chinese brush writing evolved, successive schools of calligraphy emerged, reflecting the appeal and vitality of this art form.

Writing implements first appeared as early as the Shang Dynasty(c.1600-1046 BC), and continued to develop through the Warring States Period(475-221 BC) and Han Dynasty(202 BC-220 AD). Ink, brush, paper, and ink stones(slabs on which ink is ground), known to later generations as the “four treasures of the study,”were successively developed and refined during this time. Brushes were perfected that used a core of weasel hair for strength, surrounded by wool fibers for their soft and absorbent properties. This type of brush made it possible to produce uniquely weighted brushstrokes, both precise and vigorous, when ink was applied to paper. The foundation was thus laid for the further development of the calligraphic art.

The earliest Chinese scripts were extremely controlled and formal, much like the strict rites and ceremonies that defined the society of the time. Zhuanshu(seal script), which was widel used during the Qin Dynasty(221-207 BC), continued to use heavy and complicated brush strokes. However, it also strove for a balanced and harmonious structure, reflecting the emphasis the Qin Dynasty placed on order, harmony, and logic. With the introduction of lishu (official script) during the Qin-Han period(221 BC-220 AD), Chinese calligraphy started to become simpler, with a more relaxed style and variable brush strokes. This development gave calligraphers more creative latitude, and more styles of calligraphy started to appear.

Wang Xizhi(303-361 AD) was a master calligrapher of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420 AD), known to later generations as the “Sage of Calligraphy.”His calligraphy, with its concise structure and refined brushwork, was famous for its elegance and scholarly quality. Wang Xizhi used kaishu (regular script), as well as caoshu(grass style or cursive script),a shorthand form of cursive writing. But he was best known for his xingshu(running hand script), an expressive semi-cursive form. His work Lanting Xu (Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Poems), written in this style, is considered to be the epitome of classical Chinese calligraphy. It is said that once when Wang Xizhi wrote a passage on a wooden board for an engraver to carve, the ink permeated the wood to a depth of one centimeter. As a result, the phrase”one centimeter into the wood”was used to refer to exceptional calligraphy, and later to describe profound ideas or penetrating views.

During the Tang Dynasty(618-907 AD), the most widely used styles of calligraphy were kaishu (regular script), the standard form used by government officials, and caoshu(grass style orcursive script). This was the start of China’s golden age of calligraphy, which producednu-merous styles and outstanding works. Most representative of this period was the 8th-century calligrapher Yan Zhenqing(709-785 AD). Yan Zhenqing’s unique style of calligraphy was unconstrained and vigorous. He was considered a great master of the calligraphic art, second only to Wang Xizhi.

Following the Song Dynasty (960-1276 AD) and throughout the Qing Dynasty(1636-1911 AD), most brushwriting was done using lishu(official script), kaishu(regular script), xingshu (running hand semi-cursive script), or caoshu(grass style or cursive script). During this period, numerous calligraphers drew from these classic forms to develop characteristic styles imbued with their personal sense of aesthetics, creating highly individualistic styles.

Seal cutting is a unique traditional Chinese art form that is based on calligraphy. It involves casting or engraving Chinese characters, generally using zhuanshu(seal script), on cylindrical or rectangular blocks of bronze, stone, or jade to make imprinting stamps, or seals. Consequently, seal cutting is also known as”the art of inscription on bronze and stone.”The Warring States-Qin-Han-Wei-Jin period(475 BC-420 AD) and the Ming-Qing period(1368-1911AD) represent the heights of the seal cutting art. As with calligraphy, numerous schools of seal cutting emerged. Differences in the aesthetic sensibilities and engraving techniques of the great masters of seal cutting produced various types of imprints, some fine and hard-edged and others soft and rounded. The knob at the top of the seal was often carved with exquisite miniature sculptures, further enhancing the artistic effect. In China, seals provide important evidence of personal identity, and are often trusted to a greater extent than written signatures. At the same time, seals stamped on classical paintings or calligraphic works by previous collectors serve to verify their provenance, as well as to provide important evidence for determining their maximum possible age.

Although modern writing implements have gradually supplanted the brush, and simplified characters have joined the traditional forms of Chinese characters, Chinese people still practice calligraphy and seal cutting as a means of self-cultivation, to express sentiment, and to maintain a healthy body and mind. Many famous masters of calligraphy and seal cutting have emerged in modern times, including Yu Youren(1878-1964 AD), Qi Baishi(1864-1957AD), Zhao Puchu(1907-2000 AD), and Qi Gong(1912-2005 AD). Traditional brush writing is still part of the curriculum in Chinese schools. Traditional calligraphic techniques have also been applied to writing with fountain pens or ballpoint pens, preserving the form and beauty of brush writing and giving rise to a new style known as “hard calligraphy.”