Chinese calligraphy

Chinese calligraphy is a traditional visual art using Chinese characters. Calligraphers view the graphic depiction of letters to be of equal value to the written word itself. Like many traditional Chinese art forms, calligraphy is considered both a discipline and a means of creative expression. In contrast with other styles of calligraphy, the development of traditional Chinese calligraphy relied upon an ink brush rather than the quills and calligraphy pens favored in Western tradition.

Brief History

Calligraphy, which means "beautiful writing" in Greek, is among the most ancient Chinese visual arts. Chinese calligraphy had several stages of script development. The earliest is the prehistoric chia-ku-wen style, which consists of a series of lines carved into turtle shells and animal bones with sharpened instruments. These ancient markings are believed to be predictions that were derived from heating bones and using the resulting cracks as prophetic divination of the future, similar to reading tea leaves or the lines in the palm of a hand. These types of markings are occasionally still used in Chinese calligraphy to engrave ornamental writing on scrolls or seals.

The chuan shu phase of calligraphy is divided into two periods: the ta-chuan, or great seal script period, and the hsiao-chuan, or small seal script period. These eras are described as seal script periods due to the use of this writing on seals that were used to leave an impression of a person's name on documents. The large seal script is generally ascribed to the reign of the Chou dynasty from 1122–221 BCE and is characterized by the first vestiges of artistic flourishes such as rounded edges and strokes that combined thick and thin lines. The lesser seal period lasted from 221–206 BCE, a period when the first emperor of China created a standardized form of writing for all government offices that was regarded as difficult to learn. Writing from this period tends to have a uniform thickness with elongated lettering that was developed to fit in the boxes on government forms.

By 206 BCE, the li shu, or clerical script, started to become established as the de facto calligraphy type. The li shu script was a simplified form of the hsiao-chuan style and was used for records and education. This form emphasized greater fluidity, which was often individualized with a slight tilt at the end of each character. The li shu type reached its peak use during the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE).

The ts'ao shu, or hasty script style, was born of a military efficiency. Military forces found the traditional li shu form too time-consuming to use, so they created a shorthand cursive style. The various lines of characters often connect in a style driven by speed. This slight fusion of characters can make it difficult for contemporary Chinese people to read. Some calligraphy artists continue to use the ts'ao shu style as a demonstration of their creative talents. The ts'ao shu type flourished during the Han and Jin (265–420) dynasties.

The chen-shu, or regular style, became popular during the Tang dynasty (618–907). Similar in form to hsing-shu, the chen-shu style is neater, simpler, and more distinctly formed than its predecessors. Most novice Chinese calligraphers are assigned lessons in chen-shu because it is easier to read and quicker to write than other calligraphy types.

More advanced calligraphers use the hsing-shu, or running script. While the strokes in chen-shu—which is regarded as one of the two modern calligraphy styles alongside hsing-shu—are each drawn individually, these strokes may be linked together in hsing-shu. As a result, it is considered to be a more artistic and free-form style.

Description

There are eight basic brush strokes that are used to make the thousands of characters used in Chinese calligraphy. These are héng (meaning "horizontal"), which is a straight line drawn left to right; shù ("erect"), a vertical line drawn from top to bottom that resembles a railroad spike; gōu ("hook"), a small curly apostrophe-shaped mark made using a top to bottom stroke and is typically added to other characters; piĕ ("slant") and tí ("raise"), which are short, angled characters, with piĕ drawn by moving up right to left at a slight curve, while tí is drawn moving in the opposite direction; nà ("pressing down") is created by moving the brush at an angle from left to right; wān ("curve"), which looks like a straighter comma and is drawn from right to left; and diăn ("dot") which is, like its name, a simple dot. Each of these lines is made with a single stroke. Together, all eight strokes combine to make the character of yong, meaning "forever."

For all characters, the shape of the line is as important as the direction in which it is drawn. Each line is thicker at some points than others are; this is an effect created by changes in pressure, direction, and the angle of the brush tip. Proper Chinese calligraphy requires the use of four elements called the Four Treasures of the Study: the brush, ink stone, inkstick, and xuān. The inkstick is a cake of dried ink that is ground on the ink stone and mixed with water to create a usable ink. Xuān is the rice paper onto which the image is drawn.

Topic Today

The importance of calligraphy in Asia extends beyond its value as fine art. Chinese calligraphy, in particular, is a reflection of the country's artistic heritage and the subtleties of the Chinese language. Unlike many other written languages, Chinese does not rely on an alphabet. Rather, it is dependent upon learning thousands of individual characters for words. Estimates suggest that more than fifty thousand distinct characters exist; the typical Chinese reader will only be familiar with five thousand of these. Therefore, individual characters can have more distinct meanings than words in English. Additionally, the more complex characters may be composed of short characters, each with their own meaning. A fine work of Chinese calligraphy is not only a reflection of the inherent connotations of the shown character, but also the artist's skill in capturing its meaning. Further, Chinese calligraphy is believed to be a visual capture of the energy of the artist and the universe. Some assert that it helps cultivate self-discipline through a dedication to capturing the ideal shape of individual characters.

Chinese calligraphy is an important art form and is regarded as the ancestor of all Asian forms of calligraphy. It continues to be taught in schools in China. In 2009, Chinese calligraphy was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Bibliography

"China's Calligraphic Arts." Freer|Sackler–The Smithsonian's Museums of Asian Art, asia-archive.si.edu/learn/chinas-calligraphic-arts. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.

Delbanco, Dawn. "Chinese Calligraphy." Metropolitan Museum of Art, Apr. 2008, www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/chcl/hd‗chcl.htm. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.

Guoqiao, Kong. "The Essential Meaning of Chinese Calligraphy and Its Loss." A New Thoughtfulness in Contemporary China: Critical Voices in Art and Aesthetics, edited by Jörg Huber and Zhao Chuan, Transcript, 2014.

Heng, Jiuan. "Calligraphy." Encyclopedia of Chinese Philosophy, edited by Antonio S. Cua, Routledge, 2003.

Hatch, Michael. Networks of Touch: A Tactile History of Chinese Art, 1790-1840. Penn State UP, 2024.

Iezzi, Adriana. "Contemporary Chinese Calligraphy between Tradition and Innovation." Journal of Literature and Art Studies, vol. 3, no. 3, Mar. 2013, pp. 158–79, doi.org/10.17265/2159-5836/2013.03.003. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.

Lachman, Charles. "Chinese Calligraphy." Asia Society, asiasociety.org/education/chinese-calligraphy. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.

White, Caryn M. "Chinese Calligraphy." Asia for Educators, Columbia University, afe.easia.columbia.edu/special/china‗1000bce‗calligraphy.htm. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.

Yuho, Tseng. A History of Chinese Calligraphy. 2nd ed., Chinese UP, 1993.

Zhan, Jade. "Chinese Calligraphy 101." Shen Yun Performing Arts, 5 May 2016, www.shenyunperformingarts.org/blog/view/article/e/0Ic1sP3aNEc/chinese-calligraphy-chinese-characters-inner-meaning.html. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.

Zhu, Minshen. A Study of Chinese Calligraphy. Cengage Learning Asia Pte Ltd, 2020.