Inscriptions on the Stone Drums (Eastern Zhou dynasty, 5th century B.C.), China, 17th century
Under this general heading includes the Shell-and-Bone writing, Ku-Wen or Ancient Script, Great Seal and Small Seal.
The excavations in Henan province have shed many interesting examples of the most ancient Chinese script. Bones of animals and tortoiseshells, of considerable archaeological value, have been dug up and found to bear characters engraved upon them. The well-composed patterns and linear qualities of these characters have suggested new methods of treatment to calligraphers. But so far few have distinguished themselves by their inventions. The only important names in this field are Lo Chen-Yu (罗晨玉) and Yeh Yu-Shen (叶玉森).
The Ku-Wen Style occurs in the characters inscribed on bronzes in the period before the invention of Ta-Chuan (Great Seal). The arrangement and interrelation of the lines of the characters differ in every example, but each has its own value and beauty. The ancient bronzes were used in important national ceremonies and at the services of ancestor worship. As is to be expected, the characters are dignified and sublime, and designed to endure for many generations. The most talented calligraphers of the day were doubtless employed to engrave them, but unfortunately no trace of their names and careers remains. The process of engraving upon bronze and stone is an art in itself. In Chinese it is termed Chin-Shih-Hsueh (金石学), the Study of Metal and Stone.
Many later calligraphers have imitated the Ku-Wen style in order to train their eyes to well-balanced construction and their hands to strength of stroke. Down to the last dynasty, writers have been in the habit of refreshing their minds and technique by practising Ku-Wen, and all the most renowned exponents have distinguished themselves in this style.
Ta-Chuan (Great Seal) is not very different from Ku-Wen (Ancient Script): it is a synthesis of the variants of that style. The most famous and admired examples of it, the 'Stone Drum Inscriptions', have for centuries been the subject of enthusiastic comments by scholars. The prominent Tang Dynasty writer, Han Yu (韩愈), composed a long poetic eulogy in praise of these characters. His fine poem make us vividly aware of their firmly patterned strength. The drums were discovered in the Pao-Chi district of Shensi, and are treasired by both Calligraphers and Archaeologists. Copies of them are now kept in the gateway to the Temple of Confuscius in Peiping. Wu Ta-Cheng (吴大溦) and Wu Chang-Shuo (吴昌碩) and famous exponents of Ta-Chuan.
Prior to the unification of China under the first Emperor of Qin in BC221, each of the feudal states used its own form of the Great Seal Style. Then the Prime Minister, Li Szu, with the help of some of his subordinates, unified the various modes into the Small Seal Style. He also, incidentally, added a number of new characters to meet the demands of the increasingly complex society he governed. This Small Seal Style (Hsiao-Chuan) has a standard character for each object and action, and does not confuse the ind with a variety of forms as does the Great Seal. This was an important stage in the development of Chinese culture, affecting not only etymology but calligraphy and painting as well. Learning can be easily disseminated with a standard script. All the irregularities of the ancient writing were dropped, and each character was made to 'occupy' an imaginary square. On this basis were built all the later styles of writing.
There is a record that the first Qin Emperor, on his visit to the East of his kingdom, made six stone engravings recording his victories and distinctions. Unfortunately only two still exist, one on the Lang-Ya Terrace (琅琊台), the other on Tai Shan, and in the course of the centuries even these have been badly damaged. The famous I-Shan Pei, a memorial on I-Mountain in the Province of Shantung, is not the original written in Qin period but a copy made by Hsu Hsuan of the Southern Tang dynasty. It cannot be claimed that this Pei faithfully reproduces the original Small Seal Style as devised by Li Szu (李斯), but it is considered by students of this style to be of considerable merit, and it cannot be overlooked.
Although seal writing had originally no connection with the engraving of seals, it is nevertheless always used for that purpose. The designing and carving of seals, itself a form of art, developed independently. But without a thorough acquaintance with the ancient Seal writing, it is very difficult to appreciate the beauty of seals.
Reference
Works by Chiang Yee, Chinese Calligraphy, An Introduction to its Aesthetic and Technique
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