Script Types
1. What is Oracle Bone Script (甲骨文)?
Oracle bone script refers to characters carved on turtle shells and animal bones during the Shang Dynasty.
2. What is Bronze Inscription (金文)?
Bronze inscription refers to characters cast on bronze vessels during the Shang and Zhou dynasties.
3. What are representative works of bronze inscriptions?
Western Zhou bronze inscriptions were particularly popular, mainly including 'Mao Gong Ding' and 'San Shi Pan.'
4. What is Stone Drum Script (石鼓文)?
Stone drum script is text carved on ten drum-shaped stone tablets, also known as 'hunting stele script.'
5. What is Large Seal Script (大篆)?
All characters before Emperor Qin Shi Huang unified the six kingdoms are collectively called large seal script, including oracle bone script, bronze inscriptions, Zhou script, and ancient script.
6. What is Small Seal Script (小篆)?
Small seal script is relative to large seal script. The Qin seal script revised and organized by Prime Minister Li Si is called small seal script.
7. What are representative works of Qin small seal script?
'Mount Tai Stele,' 'Mount Kuaiji Stele,' etc. Legend has it that most were written by Li Si, with rigorous and symmetrical style.
8. What is Tile Script (瓦当文)?
Tile script is text carved on tiles during the Qin and Han dynasties, mostly containing auspicious phrases.
9. How did Clerical Script (隶书) originate?
Clerical script gradually formed during the long-term writing process of cursive seal script.
10. What is Han Clerical Script (汉隶)?
Han clerical script refers to clerical script of the Han Dynasty, especially Eastern Han clerical script with the most distinctive features. Later generations call Eastern Han clerical script 'Han clerical script.'
11. What are representative works of Han clerical script?
'Zhang Qian Stele,' 'Yi Ying Stele,' 'Cao Quan Stele,' etc.
12. What is Zhang Cao (章草)?
Zhang cao is a type of cursive script formed in the mid-to-late Western Han Dynasty, gradually maturing and becoming popular in the Eastern Han Dynasty. It is the result of fast writing of clerical script.
13. What is Jin Cao (今草)?
Jin cao, also called 'small cursive,' is the most widely popular type of cursive script. It matured during the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi inherited and developed Zhang Zhi's cursive script.
14. What is Da Cao (大草)?
Da cao, also called 'wild cursive,' is a type of cursive script. Tang Dynasty calligraphers Zhang Xu and Huaisu further developed it based on Jin cao.
15. What is Regular Script (楷书)?
Regular script, also called true script or standard script, features square form and straight strokes. It can be divided into Jin regular script, Wei regular script, and Tang regular script.
16. What is Northern Wei Stone Carving?
Northern Wei stone carving is the general term for stele and stone carving calligraphy of the Northern Wei Dynasty and similar styles, including epitaphs, statues, steles, and cliff inscriptions.
17. What is Running Script (行书)?
Running script is a script type between regular script and cursive script. It is formed by fast writing of regular script plus some cursive methods.
18. What is Slender Gold Script (瘦金体)?
Slender gold script was developed by Emperor Huizong of Song, Zhao Ji, based on predecessors' work, with strong personal style. Its strokes are thin and vigorous like iron.
19. What is Lacquer Script (漆书)?
Lacquer script generally refers to a script type written by Jin Nong, one of the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou in the Qing Dynasty.
Calligraphers
20. What are the characteristics of Zhong Yao's calligraphy?
Clear and vigorous brushwork, ancient and simple, sparse and round. He is called 'Zhong Wang' together with Wang Xizhi.
21. What are Zhong Yao's surviving works?
Famous engraved copies include 'Xuan Shi Biao,' 'He Jie Biao,' etc.
22. What are Zhang Zhi's calligraphy characteristics and representative works?
Zhang Zhi was a famous calligrapher in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, good at clerical, running, cursive, and flying white scripts. Surviving works include 'August Post' and 'Champion Post.'
23. What are Suo Jing's surviving works and characteristics?
Suo Jing's surviving works include 'Monthly Etiquette Post,' 'Ode to the Army,' and 'Emergency Chapter.' His calligraphy is vigorous and brave.
24. What are the characteristics of Wei Shuo's calligraphy?
Wei Shuo (Lady Wei) was Wang Xizhi's calligraphy teacher in his youth. Her calligraphy is like dancing ladies, graceful and beautiful.
25. What is Wang Xizhi's calligraphy style?
Wang Xizhi is revered as the 'Sage of Calligraphy,' using 'inner contraction' brushwork technique.
26. What are Wang Xizhi's surviving running script works?
Running script: 'Lanting Xu' (Orchid Pavilion Preface), 'Two Thanks Post,' etc.
27. What are Wang Xianzhi's calligraphy characteristics?
Wang Xianzhi created a new style of running-cursive script that is free and spirited. He and his father are called 'Little Wang' and 'Great Wang,' becoming millennium calligraphy classics.
28. What are Wang Xianzhi's surviving running-cursive works?
Running-cursive works include 'Duck Head Pill Post,' 'Mid-Autumn Post,' etc.