Shang Dynasty (甲骨文) •13th century B.C.-A.D 2nd century •Jīnwén (Bronzeware script) •Dàzhuàn (Large Seal Script) •Xiǎozhuàn—character unification in the time of Qin Shi Huang
• Regular script came into being between the Eastern Hàn and Cáo Wèi dynasties, and its first
known master was Zhōng Yáo(钟繇) known as “father of regular script”. • It is most common in modern writings and publications.
Chinese Calligraphy 书法
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Content
• Brief history • Famous figures • Primary styles • four treasures of the study
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History
•16th-11th century B.C. inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells of the
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Popular styles
• 草书Cursive script/Grass script
• faster to write than other styles, but difficult to read for those unfamiliar with it. It functions primarily as a kind of shorthand script or calligraphic style.
sweeping the yard with a groom when he was young. Later he asked Zhang Xun, a famous calligrapher on how to achieve the achievements as the ancients. After years of hard work and combining his sente battlefield, his works reached the consummate level.
• 隶书The clerical script
• An archaic style of Chinese calligraphy which evolved in the Warring States period to the Qin dynasty, was dominant in the Han dynasty, and remained in use through the Wèi-Jìn periods.
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Popular styles
• 行书Semi-cursive script/running script/xíngshū
• It belongs to a cursive style of Chinese characters. • Easy to read compared to cursive
Yan’s works: firm and stretchy
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柳公权(778－865)—Tang dynasty
•Liu Gongquan, a master of kaishu and cursive(行草) who is oftened mentioned with Yan Zhenqing. Kaishu: vigorous and rigorous Running-cursive: fluent and flowing
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Four treasures of the study
•Brush: bamboo and weasel(黄鼬) hair •Ink and inkstick: made from lampblack (soot)
and binders, grinded with water before use.
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黄庭坚 (1045-1105) Huang Tingjian
• A calligrapher and poet in Song dynasty. • His works are fancy and firm, leading change of the
trend.
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Popular styles
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Famous figures
• 王羲之（A.D.303-361）Wei-Jin dynasty • Acclaimed as “Saint of Calligraphy” （“书圣”） • Works: Lanting Xu (兰亭序)—Preface to the Poems
Collected from the Orchid Pavilion（兰亭序）
• Charm of “之” in 20 different styles
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颜真卿(A.D.709－785)—Tang dynasty
•One of the four greatest masters of kaishu Yan Zhenqing used to practise calligraphy while
•Paper: Special types of paper called Xuanzhi is
used, from Tatar wingceltis(青檀) and other materials.
• It often features a wavelike flaring of stroke, especially a dominant rightward or downward diagonal stroke.
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Popular styles
• 楷书Regular script/kǎishū