The dynasty in which seal script appeared
Xiao Zhuan, also known as "Qin Zhuan", appeared from the Qin Dynasty, and it is also the common language of Qin State. The simplified Chinese characters of Da Zhuan are characterized by uniform glyphs and convenient writing. In the development history of Chinese characters, it is the transition between seal script and official script.
Changes of seal script
In the Zhou Dynasty, the inscription "Zhong Dingwen" carved on the Yi wares of Zhongding was widely popular.
After the unification of Qin Shihuang, they were collectively called "Xiao Zhuan", also known as "Qin Zhuan". The so-called seal script is actually an official script. It is a standardized common font for official documents. According to documents, there was no special name for the characters of Chinese characters in the pre-Qin period, and Xiao Zhuan gradually evolved from the characters of Qin State in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. Because it is an official book, Xiao Zhuan is only suitable for major occasions, such as remembering merits and carving stones, measuring imperial edicts, playing tiger symbols and so on. The style of standard seal script is neat arrangement, round strokes, even and long lines, showing a solemn and beautiful style. Compared with Oracle Bone Inscriptions and bronze inscriptions, the standard seal script has some basic characteristics: the font is slender, the pen force is tight, and it stretches downward, which constitutes the visual illusion that the upper part is dense and the lower part is sparse, which is also related to the top-down layout. Symmetry of lines No matter how long the stippling is, the strokes are even in thickness. This kind of brush with even strength and speed gives people a pure and simple aesthetic feeling. In addition, the font structure tends to be simple and fixed, and the chapter layout of Xiao Zhuan calligraphy can form a sequence of vertical and horizontal lines. The round pen is different from the round pen, which is represented by Qin carved stone; Fang Bi, represented by the Imperial edict of Qin Dynasty, is a popular style in Qin Zhuan.
The Han and Wei Dynasties were a spent force for Qin Zhuan. Apart from inscriptions, seals and tools, there are few independent seals.
In the Tang Dynasty, seal script was revived because of the appearance of Li, but its heroic spirit was gone.
With the study of epigraphy in the Song Dynasty and the retro style of calligraphy in the Yuan Dynasty, the right to use seal script has risen slightly, and many people are famous for seal script, but they lack the power to surpass it.
The trend of Ming dynasty inheriting Yuan dynasty is flat. In the Qing Dynasty, seal script blossomed and entered a stage of great prosperity.
Representative figure
Li Si, the originator of Xiao Zhuan, was born in Shangcai (now Shangcai County, Henan Province) during the Warring States Period. Later, he did the Qin Dynasty, and compiled and formulated the regular script and seal script of the Qin Dynasty. The stone tablet "Yishan" existing in Xi 'an stele forest was carved in the Song Dynasty. Most of the carved stones in the book have been destroyed, only two original stones remain. According to legend, Li Si wrote Qin Daijin and stone carvings. Qin has seven well-known identities, among which the length of characters is often very important, and Li Si's seal script is the crystallization of unifying eight languages on the basis of Qin's original seal script. Golden eagles have the right, quantity and imperial edict, and stone carvings include Yishan, Taishan, Langyatai, Zhegang, Jieshi and Huiji. Therefore, the most famous calligraphy in the Qin Dynasty is the stone engraving of Qin Xiaozhuan. The Qin Dynasty in which Li Si lived was an important period in Chinese history. Qin Shihuang destroyed the six countries, unified the world, and eliminated the chaos of the Warring States. Li Si was falsely accused by Zhao Gao and beheaded in Xianyang at the age of 70. Dignified, dignified and even solemn, the carved stone of Qin dynasty reveals the general situation of Qin empire under centralized dictatorship. The unified state of Qin is extremely powerful, which is reflected in the written language and must be adapted to it. However, Mr. Li Zhimin, a calligrapher, pioneer and professor of Peking University, believed that Qin Shihuang's unification of the six languages was of positive significance to the social progress at that time, but it was not necessarily conducive to the development of calligraphy art.
Seal script category
One of the ancient scripts in China. A close friend Guo Moruo's Dialectical Development of Ancient Chinese Characters says: "Those who seal the script slap it, and those who slap it are officials. The official system of the Han dynasty generally followed the Qin system, with officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs as officials of the Ministry of George and officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as officials of the Ministry of Cao, all of which were subordinate to official documents. Therefore, the so-called seal script is actually a book, an official book. "
The variant of seal script is extremely complicated. The ancients believed that seal script was written by Cang Xie, but this is not credible. Taishi Gong Zhou Xuanwang wrote Shi Shuan Pian, which Han people call "Da Zhuan". See the article Da Zhuan for details. Later, countries divided and ruled, governors were in power, and characters were created. In the Qin dynasty, Lisi was the same, and the Han people called it "Xiao Zhuan". The font of seal script is round and the structure is in accordance with the meaning of six books, so Sun said in the Tang Dynasty, "Seal script is graceful and smooth."
big seal character
An ancient Chinese character. Its name is found in the works of the Han Dynasty, which is symmetrical with Biography. In a broad sense, it refers to the characters before Biography, including Oracle Bone Inscriptions, Zhong Dingwen, Wen Shu and Six Kingdoms. In a narrow sense, it refers to the written language defined in Zhou Xuanwang Taishi. The representative works of Da Zhuan include the inscriptions of Shi Guwen and Qin Gonggui.
seal character
(Shu Shu) The characters of the Zhou Dynasty are generally considered as "Da Zhuan". Or, unlike the big seal, it is called "playing seal" and even regarded as a "strange word". Broadly speaking, Wen Shu includes Da Zhuan, Xiao Zhuan and ancient prose. In a narrow sense, it only refers to the text of Shi Shuo pian, namely Zhou Zongshu. According to Qin Lisi's "small seal script" system, he regarded seal script as "big seal script".
The Status of Biography
Simplifying, rectifying and unifying the big seal script since the Yin and Zhou Dynasties into the small seal script is a summary of the changes and development since the appearance of characters, which further sets the tone for the style of Chinese characters in China and is an outstanding contribution to the development of Chinese characters and calligraphy art in China, among which official script has played an indelible and significant role.
Li Si is from Shangcai, Henan. He was not only a politician and writer in the Qin Dynasty, but also a famous calligrapher.
Xu Shen's Shuo Wen Jie Zi Xu records: "The season of the Zhou Dynasty was divided into seven countries, with different languages and different characters. Qin is in harmony with the world, and Lisi plays with it, but not with it, so the book style is set at one. " It clearly points out the contribution of Li Sao to the unification of China's calligraphy style.
Qin Shihuang traveled to Shandong, Zhejiang and other places, erected steles and sang praises, leaving behind the stone carvings of Taishan, Yishan, Langxietai, Zhegangmen and Huiji, all of which are said to have been written by Li Si. It's a standard seal pattern.