Appreciation of the history and characteristics of official script in the Han Dynasty In 22 1 BC, the Qin Dynasty ended the long-standing situation of warlord separatism and war, and established the first autocratic, centralized and unified country in China history. At the same time, according to the decrees of Che, Shu and unified measurement of Qin Shihuang, the administrative power was used to standardize characters and create seal script. At this point, Xiao Zhuan's calligraphy has developed to the extreme with its rounded curves, symmetrical strokes, precise structure and beautiful decoration. -
The appearance of official script is the inevitable product of historical development.
This dynasty with a history of more than 400 years occupies a very important position in the history of calligraphy in China. With the demise of the Qin dynasty, the absolute importance of seal script to the book world? Rules? Also came to an abrupt end. Han dynasty (206 BC? 220) is the first golden age of China's feudal social unity, economic prosperity and cultural prosperity, and it is also an important development period of China's calligraphy art. With the development of calligraphy art, the establishment of the Han Dynasty from Qin began to reach another peak, that is, the appearance of official script. Official script is relative to seal script. According to its historical development, Lishu is divided into two important periods: Guli period and Jinli period. The ancient official script, also known as Qin official script, is the initial period of official script, which refers to the official script in the early Qin and Han dynasties. Today's official script is also known as the mature and prosperous period of official script, which refers to the official script in the Eastern Han Dynasty and is the main representative of official script. -
The origin of ancient Li Can can be traced back to the Warring States Period. During the Warring States period, Chu silk books, bamboo slips, seals, coins, pottery, bronzes and carved stones all had characters, which were scrawled, flat and simple. This was the predecessor of ancient Li. Qin bamboo slips unearthed in Yunmeng Crouching Tiger Land in Hubei Province are the representatives. Although it already contains many styles and brushwork of seal script, it breaks through the shackles of Qin Li and writes naturally and casually. By the end of the Western Han Dynasty, the meaning of seal script was obviously weakened, and the circle gradually became a square fold. Some fonts are already square, and there are gestures that the silkworm head and goose tail are connected in turn, such as "Five Phoenix Stone Carvings for Two Years". -
It is said that official script was created by Cheng Miao at the end of Qin Dynasty. Cheng Miao arranged in prison, simplified the complex, the font was round, and the strokes were changed to straight strokes. Change? Lian Bi? For what? Broken pen? From lines to strokes, it is easier to write. According to Wei Heng's Four-body Calligraphy, seal script was used in Qin Dynasty, which was difficult to make, so it was called official script. The one who was transferred was also a master of seals. Official script was also called in ancient times? The appearance of Sasuke brought China's calligraphy art into a brand-new realm, which is also the beginning of modern Chinese characters, the watershed of ancient and modern Chinese characters, and a major turning point in the history of China's calligraphy development. Because at this time, after a long period of development and exploration, China characters have withstood various tests.
The appearance of official script in Han dynasty embodies the diversified development of art; New art, new form, construction and perfection are based on some rebellion and destruction of previous art.
Han Dynasty is an important stage in the cultural and historical development of China. As an integral part of calligraphy art, official script is an important calligraphy style. ? Change? Its significance is far-reaching. It makes China's hieroglyphics enter the abstract symbol stage of square characters composed of stippling, and the traces of hieroglyphics before and after seal script are erased, which turns all the curves needed by hieroglyphics into regular stippling and the glyphs into flat squares.
Lishu mainly relies on its own texture, strength and structure to produce the artistic effect of Lishu and become a unique style in calligraphy. As a start-up, Qin Li still has many meanings of seal script. Since then, it has been gradually improved through continuous development. Han Dynasty is the heyday of China's calligraphy history, which inherited the Qin system. Korean official documents are mainly seal script, and official documents and official documents are common. Because official script is easy to write, faster, more convenient and full of vitality than seal script, it finally broke the writing tradition since Zhou and Qin Dynasties. Are you online? To oust a hundred schools of thought and respect Confucianism alone? Under the rule of ideology, official script in Han Dynasty gradually developed and became the dominant discipline. It also derived cursive script, running script and regular script. Due to the continuous development, it paved the way for the smooth operation of cursive script and wild grass in the late Jin Dynasty. In other words, Lishu laid the foundation for the all-round development of China's calligraphy art, played the role of connecting the past with the future, and had far-reaching historical significance.
Although the inscriptions in the Western Han Dynasty are rare, there are only a few stone carvings handed down from ancient times, such as the stone carvings in the second year of Wufeng, Yang Liang Mountain, Xiaoyu Stone Carving and Luxiaowang Stone Carving. Most of them are simple and vigorous, reflecting the characteristics of the transition period from seal cutting to official carving. The development and changes of the official script of bamboo slips unearthed in the Western Han Dynasty at this stage outline a very clear and examinable period for us. The trend of crossing tracks, the abrupt use of pens and the exaggeration of waves have become more and more obvious, which has become the mainstream characteristics, indicating that the transformation from seal script to official script has been gradually completed.
Inscriptions in the Han Dynasty are mainly official scripts, but there are also a few seal scripts. In addition to a few standard seal scripts, there are some characters between seal script and official script, which makes us see the true face of official script in the evolution process. The official script of the Eastern Han Dynasty has been very mature and varied, showing a dazzling and brilliant style and reaching its peak. Due to the wise policy of the ruling class at that time, the whole social economy was unprecedentedly prosperous, and culture and art also flourished. With the rise of the wind of erecting monuments, a large number of excellent inscriptions with exquisite skills and distinctive styles have emerged in the society. The official script has developed rapidly into a formal art style with high aesthetic value.
There are more than 700 kinds of Han steles recorded in writing, and there are still more than 50 kinds that have been handed down to this day, not including a large number of bamboo slips and official scripts unearthed in the Eastern Han Dynasty in modern times. Shu once commented:? With Bill Han pole, each monument is unique. What is the difference? . The most representative official script achievement is the official script inscribed on the tablet in the Eastern Han Dynasty. The appearance of official script is one of the most revolutionary changes in the history of calligraphy in China. Endoplasm? Or? External? The form is the same. Official script has established its own artistic characteristics and existence value in the reform of seal script, which probably includes the following aspects:
1. The abstraction of official script replaced the pictographs on which official script was based, which avoided the stagnation that might be caused by the excessive decoration of Xiao Zhuan in Qin Dynasty, thus making calligraphy glow with internal vitality and make it prosperous and healthy. -
2. From the external form, the transverse wave of official script replaces the vertical extension of seal script, which is characterized by silkworm head and goose tail, open at the mercy of pen gesture, flat font, and every word has a flying state. Use a pen or draw a circle on the square to hide the front and expose the front. The upper and lower structure is meticulous, the back is clear, and the strokes develop to the left and right, symmetrical? Figure eight? . According to its font state, it is also named? Eight points? Weng Fanggang, a calligrapher in Qing Dynasty, defined it this way:? Eight meanings,' eight? Don't also; If the words are left and right, they are opposite. ? Because of the transverse wave of the official script, the composition of the official script has changed, and the symmetry and majesty of the official script have been replaced by the side flying, and the folding and lifting of the official script have been frustrated, which has enriched the pen that is mainly round and has no trace from beginning to end.
3. The strokes of Lishu have gradually formed rules and systems in the development. From official script to regular script, the strokes of Chinese characters have formed a stroke system composed of basic strokes, basic strokes and compound strokes, which greatly enriched the brushwork.
Participate in official script? Creation? Yes, there are upper-class literati, lower-class pawns, doctors and craftsmen, and officials who are elegant, solemn and cautious. The neat arrangement is full of the spirit of the temple and the simplicity, frankness, agility, elegance and naturalness of ordinary people, which is isomorphic with * * to form a wonderful movement of free and unrestrained, open, free and easy, simple and lively calligraphy art.
The famous historical sites in Han Li have their own characteristics, high artistic standards, diverse styles and extremely changeable writing styles. More representative ones are: the majestic "The West Chamber"; The majestic "Jing Jun Monument"; Yi dang's ode to Shimen; Solemn "Yiying Monument"; Simple and dense Zhang Qianbei; Thin and wonderful "ritual monument"; Gorgeous and beautiful Huashan Monument; Heavy and quaint Fang Heng Monument; Cao Quanbei written by Qing Li Yixiu is too numerous to mention.
Inscriptions on Lishu in the Eastern Han Dynasty are the best representatives of calligraphy in the Han Dynasty, which perfectly embodies the spirit of the times in the Han Dynasty. It conveys the universal humanistic psychology of a society with developed economy and strong national strength with its simple, vigorous, simple, magnificent, vigorous and unrestrained masculine beauty.
Connecting the past with the future has a far-reaching impact.
The reform of official script in history has gone through a long period and reached its peak in the Eastern Han Dynasty, pushing the level of official script to its peak. However, due to special historical and political reasons, from the Jin Dynasty to the early Qing Dynasty, the official script always lingered in the stylized circle of eight-part essay and declined for a long time. Until the middle and late Qing dynasty, great attention was paid to the textual research of epigraphy, the revival of seal script, and a large number of bamboo slips and silk books were unearthed. Some calligraphers took the French Han bamboo slips and wrote a new look, and the official script was reproduced at this time. A large number of famous official scripts have been produced. Among them are Yi Bingshou, Zheng Gukou, He Zizhen, Jin Nong, Deng and Gui Fu. Or simple and mellow; Or the wonderful combination of bamboo slips; Or bone strength; Or beautiful and pure, each leading the way.
In the contemporary era, the development of calligraphy art should take root in tradition and go deep into inscriptions. From the perspective of aesthetic development of calligraphy, it is necessary to further explore the calligraphy treasure of Han tablet. This is still of great significance and reference significance to solve the inheritance and innovation of contemporary official script.
In a word, the ancient official script of the Han Dynasty is an inexhaustible art treasure house, which is still shining with new brilliance and nourishing a group of calligraphy art pursuers. Han Li's legacy to future generations is not only a written form, but also the style and cultural connotation of the ancient Han nationality and the humanistic spirit of the Chinese nation.
Cao Quanbei, the representative work of official script in Han Dynasty, is Cao Quanbei. Han Heyang did Cao Quanbei? It is an important inscription in the Eastern Han Dynasty, which was established in the second year of Zhong Ping in the Eastern Han Dynasty (185). The monument is about1.7m high and 0.86m wide. It is rectangular, has no forehead, and the stone is very strong. Both sides of the monument are engraved with official script inscriptions. Beiyang 20 lines, full of 45 words; The tablet is divided into five columns, and the number of rows and words in each column is different. In the early years of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty, the monument was unearthed in the old city of Heyang County, Shaanxi Province. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, it was said that the tablet was broken. Cao Quanbei is a representative work of official script in Han Dynasty. It is famous for its elegant style and neat structure and is highly praised by calligraphers in past dynasties.
Cao Quanbei was written by Wang Chang in Jin Dynasty to commemorate Cao Quan's achievements. The inscription tells that Cao Quan shared his worries for his younger brother, abandoned his official position, returned to his hometown, met a shift, lived in seclusion at home, and worked as a doctor for seven years, reflecting the peasant uprising headed by Zhang Jiao from the side, which was surging and magnificent.
The development history of official script, official script and seal script is also extraordinary.
This is the Western Jin Dynasty? Wei Heng's Si Ti Shu is a classic narrative of Lishu itself and its background. The success of seal script actually refers to the structural and writing changes (official changes) in the font system of seal script during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. Change? A new relatively independent font formed by technology. In other words, the official script passed? Change? Born out of the seal script font.
Li Bian is an important calligraphy cultural event in the history of calligraphy in China. The internal motivation of the official change is to adapt to the requirements of the social development at that time for the application of characters. ? The change of official script is mainly manifested in two aspects: first, the change of font structure is not only the change of font structure of regular script, but also the main direction of this change is simplification; The second is the change of writing style, which is not only to change the writing style of the original regular script, but also to be concise and convenient. . The simplification of font structure and the simple flow of writing style constitute the core content of the transformation process of officialdom. The simplification of glyph structure and writing style here is not only for the improvement of writing speed, but also for the inherent writing movement situation that is more in line with people's physiological movement track, so that official script was widely used with the political changes at the turn of Qin and Han Dynasties.
As far as calligraphy is concerned, Li Bian completed the following conversion from seal script to official script:
1, get rid of the solidification of seal script structure and move towards the abstract expression of the temporal and spatial movement of official script lines;
2. Lines change from euphemistic arc strokes of seal script to steep straight strokes, and twists and turns change from joint circle of seal script to turning point of Fang Bi. The formal transformation marks the destruction of the phase of Chinese characters and the establishment of abstract symbols, which makes Chinese characters change from ancient writing system to modern writing system. At the same time, it also marks the final formation of the independent personality and aesthetic characteristics of Lishu.
On the other hand, as people's normative consciousness, we must standardize this new font and style. As a result, a highly standardized stereotyped writing appeared in the late Han Dynasty. Therefore, we say that the so-called official reform process is the normative construction process of the new calligraphy body produced by the triumph of seal script. As calligraphy, the beauty of official script lies in the process of official change that lasted more than 400 years.
It is very necessary to interpret the aesthetic connotation and background of official script, which is helpful to our in-depth understanding of official script itself. Usually, we know official script from the existing Han steles and bamboo slips. However, it is far from enough to understand official script only through Han steles and bamboo slips. Because we can't understand the origin of the aesthetic connotation of official script. Therefore, we should interpret the process of official change for more than 400 years under the cultural background of Qin and Han dynasties, and explore the cultural and ideological origin of the beauty of official books. Only in this way can we know some official script traditions.
In the Han Dynasty, Lishu not only formed its own independent personality and aesthetic characteristics through the process of bureaucratization, but also had a general trend of development in the direction of laxity and standardization. On the one hand, Lishu gradually broke away from its original practical position in the extreme of overemphasizing the convenience of writing, and then in the process of constantly planting grass, because of the different writing movements, what we call Cao Zhang and modern grass finally formed; On the other hand, it shows the normative construction of the original writing form of official script, which is based on the formal order. Because the stability of writing order directly affects the smooth communication of national culture and social progress. This is an important link that the government has always attached importance to. Therefore, with the establishment of the kingship in the Han Dynasty, it is inevitable to standardize the official script widely circulated in real life. Stereotyped writing effectively overcomes the tendency of random writing in seal script Li Jie's calligraphy by standardized means, and makes the formal order tend to stable position selection and orderly structure diagram. Coupled with the constant accommodation of the aesthetic concepts of the official literati in the Han Dynasty, it finally formed a standardized, harmonious, quiet and left-handed style. The overall trend of stone carving in Han Dynasty from the simplicity of Western Han Dynasty to the standardization of Eastern Han Dynasty also confirms the historical process of official standardization of official seal characters.
However, today's academic and calligraphy circles generally regard the gradual development trend of stone carving in Han Dynasty as a sign that official script is maturing. This is not only far-fetched, but also brings difficulties to the interpretation of official script ontology theory. This is because: First, the transformation of stereotyped writing to official script is based on the standardization of art and the modification of lines. Not only does it not have the randomness and rationality of writing, but it increases the difficulty of writing and loses the practical position of official script which was originally simple and convenient to write; Secondly, from the perspective of the writing subject, from the original official official position to the literati and officials. It can be seen from the stone inscriptions such as Yi Ying Monument, Li Monument, Huashan Monument, Cao Quanbei, Zhang Qianbei, etc. that the eight-part essay has begun to have the artistic characteristics of elegance, standardization and literati. These calligraphy characters generally have one feature, that is, waves. This wave is actually a beautification of the original official script writing method of seal interpretation. The flying lines and waves make the carved stone official script break away from the simplicity and simplicity of the original official script and begin to have the artistic characteristics of elegance and literati, which is the embodiment of the romantic and chic artistic aesthetic spirit of the literati in Han Dynasty. It is this artistic feature of elegance, standardization and literati that makes the official script lose its internal conditions and social foundation for widespread circulation in society, so it should not belong to the official script in the original sense. In fact, the official script in stone carvings shows a trend of gradual standardization, and its essence is the dual result of the standardization and aesthetic transformation of the official script in the first edition of seal script. The Book of Songs in Xiping embodies the stability of stereotyped writing to the greatest extent with its highly standardized formal order, structural similarity principle and formal similarity characteristics. From the perspective of philology, octupole should be a new and relatively independent font. Therefore, we say that the general trend of official script development from the simplicity of the Western Han Dynasty to the standardization of the Eastern Han Dynasty is not entirely a sign that official script is maturing, but a new font. Because of its own essential characteristics and use orientation, it is bound to break away from the mainstream of official script writing and develop in a more standardized direction. The characteristics and contents of Xiping Book of Songs also prove the limitations of using stereotyped writing as a standard font in the Eastern Han Dynasty.
Therefore, we say that the formation of the independent personality and aesthetic characteristics of official script was not highly standardized and mature in the Eastern Han Dynasty, but existed in the process of official script reform for more than 400 years. In the 400-year transformation of officialdom, there are too many calligraphy texts to be interpreted and recognized. Zhang Qianbei is simple and bold, vigorous and broad, and Cao Quanbei is elegant and gorgeous, handsome and moist, which shows us the classic stone carving calligraphy of the Eastern Han Dynasty with different styles, different structures and different aesthetic orientations. This is a simple cultural atmosphere in the Eastern Han Dynasty, and it is also the confidence of literati to understand and conquer nature. In particular, the free and easy vagrancy of Shimen Fu embodies the open feelings of literati returning to nature, and the carving of folk craftsmen has injected a kind of folk simplicity into Shimen Fu, which has both the simplicity and randomness of the original official script and the unique artistic charm of humanistic feelings, showing the bold character and broad-minded natural atmosphere of Shimen Fu and becoming a book handed down from generation to generation.
However, the elegance, magnificence, solemnity and neatness of stone carvings in the Eastern Han Dynasty are only a complete and gorgeous beauty. Without the simplicity and simplicity of the original official script, this beauty is hypocritical, artificial and emotionless. If the elegance, magnificence, solemnity and order of stone carvings in the Eastern Han Dynasty are put into the original unrestrained, smooth and broad aesthetic atmosphere of official script, then calligraphy will have a natural simple and broad atmosphere. And this kind of beauty is closer to the real beauty of life. Because a large number of scribbles in the process of official change seem simple, simple and ordinary, but in fact they contain infinite aesthetic value and are the true expression of human life system.
Cognition is the premise of inheritance. Therefore, it is our constant concern to explore the aesthetic essence of official script in Han Dynasty and the cultural and spiritual connotation behind it. At the same time, it should also be the premise and theoretical fulcrum for us to complete the epoch-making breakthrough and development of official script.
Needless to say, the so-called innovation is more practical to deeply understand the tradition of official script. As long as we know and understand some traditions of official script and complete the connection between tradition and modernity, then we can create official script works that pay equal attention to both classicality and modernity. The so-called classicality here is the continuous development form of official script, and the so-called modernity is the modern aesthetic consciousness and cultural spirit of official script. Classical modernity has holographic representation, but it is not entirely neoclassicism advocated by Mr. Zhou Junjie. So when I talk about classicism and modernity, I have the consciousness of combing classicism and interpreting the times in a new time and space framework. It may be anti-traditional, because we look at tradition from the standpoint of the times. It may also be inherited from tradition, because tradition is affecting us.
Variant official script, also called official script. It is a popular style of official script in contemporary calligraphy, and it is a writing style that pays attention to change and individuality in terms of traditional official script. The strokes are not standardized, emphasizing improvisation. However, Fan Xiaoge, the master of official script, believes that the purpose of official script is to be beautiful, not ugly. If everyone pursues writing variant characters, then variant characters will also be stylized. He believes that some variants of official script only pursue great feeling and great effect, and they can't stand scrutiny on single words and strokes. Often used to cover up the lack of basic skills with great fanfare.