While writing is thought by the Chinese to communicate, perhaps better than any other art form, the cultural values and circumstances of its maker, calligraphy seems to be one of the more remote and inaccessible arts to the outsider who does not read Chinese. Here are a few simple characters and their meanings. As you look at the various examples throughout this unit, try to find them and compare how they are written. |
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Da4, meaning "big" or "great" |
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Zi3, meaning "son," "child," or used as the pronoun "you" |
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Zhong1, meaning "middle" |
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Zhi1, used as a possessive or as the verb "to go" |
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Since Shang times Chinese has been written not with an alphabet-based script of the sort we are used to, but one with a symbol ("character") for each word. Many characters are made up of components, some of which can also stand on their own. Often characters can be broken down into two major parts, one which indicates the general meaning of the word, and one which indicates the sound.
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Each character is formed by a set number of marks, or strokes, made by the brush in a certain order. Simple and complicated characters alike follow the same rules of execution: the order of strokes is completed from left to right and from top to bottom; components that enclose other elements are "closed" after the inner ones are completed.
Can you guess the order in which the strokes of the above words were written?
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Many different types of regional scripts developed during the Warring States Period as the need for written records increased in state offices that were not centrally controlled. The Qin and Han periods were important for the standardization of script types. Following are four of the major script types used throughout this unit.
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What kind of writing tool do you think was used to make these characters? Did the tool have a sharp point or a soft one? What makes you think so?
Compare this example with the oracle bone inscription earlier on this page. What are the differences in how the characters are formed and arranged on the writing surface?
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In Chinese writings about calligraphy, much attention is paid to the beginnings and ends of strokes and whether the tip of the brush is visible or not. The expression "hiding the head" refers to the way the calligrapher makes the brush double back on the initial stroke to conceal the entry point where brush first meets paper, while "exposing the tail" refers to the way the calligrapher allows the tip of the brush to show, giving the stroke a pointed end.
Script types generally evolved toward forms that were simpler and more expedient. Cursive script, or draft cursive, was widely practiced in the Eastern Han (25-220 AD).
What changes in China at this time do you think may have precipitated the development of this script type?
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Regular or standard script was the last of the four major types to develop at the end of the Han dynasty. Execution of regular script involves techniques of brush manipulation that were adapted from the other script types. These include an increase in brush movement, hesitations and changes of brush direction as well as variations in the pressure exerted on the brush tip and the speed with which individual strokes were written. Regular script was considered the most legible and convenient form of handwriting.
Why do you think the regular script was the last to develop? Is it simpler than the clerical script in execution?
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In the examples below of clerical (left) and standard/regular (right) scripts, what are the main similarities and differences? Look especially closely at corners and ends of strokes. Does one look as though it were more casually executed?
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