Ancient Chinese is the writing of ancient times, and it is also the general term for the writing successively created by ancient people.
The preface to the Shangshu category in "Hanshu·Yiwenzhi": "The ancient text "Shangshu" comes from Confucius's wall. At the end of Emperor Wu, King Gong of Lu destroyed Confucius's house, hoping to expand his palace, and obtained the ancient text "Shangshu", "Book of Rites", "The Analects of Confucius" and "The Classic of Filial Piety" all contain ancient characters. "Because they were written in Confucius's wall, they are called "Books in the Wall". Because the strokes written in lacquer are thick at the head and thin at the tail, resembling a tadpole, it is also called "tadpole writing".
These ancient texts include the "Dragon Script" written by Fu Xi, the "Ba Sui Script" written by Shennong, the "Yun Script" written by Huangdi, the "Luan Feng Script" written by Shaohao, and the "Luan Feng Script" written by Emperor Shaohao. The "Immortal Shape Book" written by Ku, the stone carvings of the Cangju period (twenty-eight characters), the glyphs of the Tang and Yu periods (six characters), the "Xian Ge Ming", "Hooked Inscription", Yu Zhuan Twenty Crosses, "壣嵝 stele" and other different ancient texts. In addition, there are also so-called "odd characters", which are relatively strange characters in ancient texts, or they are variations of the ancient texts in the wall.
The various ancient writings mentioned above are only recorded in historical books and have been lost for a long time. Even if there are signs, they are all aliases of the Six Kingdoms, and the seal script is very strange and difficult to identify.
Bone inscriptions
Bone inscriptions refer to the symbols carved on animal bones - hieroglyphs or graphic characters. They are concentrated in Shandong (also found in Chifeng, Guanzhong and other places) and are the earliest in my country. In 2005, Professor Liu Fengjun, a famous archaeologist and director of the Institute of Art Archeology of Shandong University, discovered and named it. It was originally called "Dongyi script" and later called "bone inscriptions" and recognized it. The carving tools are sharp-angled gemstones such as agate, which were formed between 4600 and 3300 years ago. They are popular characters in the Longshan Culture period. Since the end of 2010, researcher Ding Zaixian, a well-known Dongyi culture scholar and full-time vice president of the Shandong Tourism Industry Association. The bone inscriptions have been successfully and systematically deciphered, and the inheritance relationship with oracle bone inscriptions and modern Chinese characters has been comprehensively discussed from the origin and structure of the characters, and it has been demonstrated that they are the source of Chinese characters.
The characteristics of early bone inscriptions are. , the number of characters on the bone fragments is small, and it is difficult to find more than 10 characters. The shape of the characters is very pictorial, and some characters are very complex and are close to paintings. If divided according to the six books of characters, there should be only meaning characters and pictographic characters. It is in the initial period of writing.
The later bone inscriptions are about 3300-3700 years ago, in the Yueshi Culture period and the late Shang Dynasty. The number of bone inscriptions gradually increased. More than a dozen characters are common, and there are as many as 50-60 characters, forming articles. During this period, the pictorial nature of the fonts gradually weakened and the symbolic character became stronger, which is similar to the shape of oracle bone inscriptions, which proves that later bone carvings appeared. The lower limit of its use is directly connected with the oracle bone inscriptions. It is the earliest and more systematic and mature writing in the Yin and Shang Dynasties. It was named after it. Because it was first discovered in the Yin Ruins in Xiaotun, Anyang, Henan, it is also called "Yin Ruins characters." "" was first discovered by Wang Yirong, an epigrapher in the late Qing Dynasty, on the "dragon bone" used in traditional Chinese medicine, and was determined to be a Chinese character. Because the contents engraved are mostly divination, rituals, etc., it is also called divination. Oracle bone inscriptions are written using comparative analogies. The knives are carved on hard tortoise shells and animal bones, so they have outstanding characteristics. The strokes are mainly straight horizontal slashes, with curved lines in between. The symmetry of the blades is the result of the oracle bone characters. Characteristics, such as Zhong, Sheep, etc. At the same time, its shape is not fixed enough, there are more and less strokes, and the writing methods are positive and negative, such as: toe is written as or, although the knot is relatively square and neat, but its writing style is different, sometimes according to the carved lines. The oracle bone inscriptions are relics from the Shang Dynasty (about 12th to 11th century BC) and are the earliest mature characters discovered in my country. The knife is carved directly on the oracle bone. The characters are of different sizes, the lines are white and natural, the spacing is appropriate, the patterns are well-proportioned, the style is neat and elegant, and the characters are neat and elegant. Zhouwen is also called Shiguwen, named after it was written by Taishi Zhou during the reign of King Xuan of the Zhou Dynasty. The ancestor of stone carvings. The stone drum has gone through vicissitudes of life, moved south and north, and been transferred several times. Most of the characters have peeled off, and only a few legible characters remain. It is now in the collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing. Its calligraphy is characterized by its strong and natural calligraphy, and its strong and straight strokes. The structure is square, the specifications are strict, and the shape is relatively complete.
It bears bronze inscriptions on the top and small seal script on the bottom. It is a calligraphy style that transitions from bronze inscriptions to small seal scripts. Zhouwen is represented by "Shiguwen" and "Cu Chuwen".
Stone Drum Inscriptions are stone carvings of the Qin State during the Warring States Period. They were named because their shape resembles a drum. It is also called "Hunting Jie" because its text describes hunting events, and it is also called "Yongyi Carving Stone" because of the place name. It is the earliest existing stone inscription in my country.
The stone drum was unearthed in Sanchouyuan of Tianxing (Sanchouyuan of Fengxiang, Baoji City, Shaanxi Province) in the Tang Dynasty. It has gone through vicissitudes of life and was finally preserved. In order to better protect the original drums, Emperor Gaozong of the Qing Dynasty had 10 imitations of the drums made and placed them in Imperial College. The current drums are in the Imperial College of Beijing.
There are 10 stone drums, 90 cm high and 60 cm in diameter. They are made of granite and have a dome and a flat bottom. Each drum is engraved with a four-character poem in Zhouwen. Due to the passage of time and twists and turns, most of the words on the stone drums have peeled off, and some stone drums have no words left.
Since the stone drum was unearthed, it has been highly favored in the past dynasties and has been valued by emperors, historians and calligraphers of all dynasties. There have been many textual researches and many rubbings have been circulated. Since Zhenguan of the Tang Dynasty, calligraphers have regarded Shi Gu as Shi Zhen's handwriting. From the perspective of calligraphy, Shiguwen "is like gold carefully arranged on the ground, and the grass is grouped together. It doesn't bother to trim it, and it has its own unique charm" (Kang Buwei). Judging from the handwriting seen, the thickness of the strokes is basically consistent, flexible and unrestrained, rigorous in structure, ancient and majestic, simple and elegant. It is a model of the transition from ancient Chinese to small seal script, and is regarded as the authentic practice of seal script by later generations.
Curse Chu text is a stone engraving for the Qin state in the early Warring States period. This is the article written by the King of Qin to curse Chu Wen. The detailed age, calligraphy and characters are yet to be determined. It is said that there are three stones of Chu inscriptions, one of which is "Wuxian Wen", first obtained by Fengxiang, with 326 words. The second is "Da Shen Jue Qiu Wen", first obtained in Pingliang, Gansu, with 318 words. The third one is "Yatuowen", which was collected by Liu family in Luoyang.
The three texts on Cursing Chu that we have seen so far are not original stones, but were compiled and copied by later generations. The three texts are similar in style, with "Wuxian" being the most refined. Its handwriting is extraordinary and exquisite, and its calligraphy is exquisite and meticulous, which is comparable to the Shigu text. Bronze inscriptions refer to the inscriptions cast or engraved on bronze vessels, also known as bell and tripod inscriptions. The characters are divided into concave and convex. The concave characters are carved with a knife and appear in Yin characters. The convex characters are first carved with a knife model and then cast to form Yang characters. It originated in the Yin and Shang Dynasties and became popular in the Zhou Dynasty. Most of the bronze inscriptions record ceremonies, conquests, contracts, etc. It is a text that inherits the oracle bone style but has new developments. It is characterized by simple and natural strokes, magnificent and colorful knots, and increasingly neat, majestic and simple fonts. However, because the strokes of the font have not been completely fixed, they often have one character, and the strokes and writing methods are also different. Currently, there are many bronzes with inscriptions cast, and they are vast. The more representative ones are "Sanshi Pan", "Mao Gong's Tripod", and "Guo Jizi". White Plate" etc.
The Great Yu Ding is a bronze inscription from the period of King Kang of the Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century BC - 10th century BC). It was unearthed from a ditch bank in Li Village, Xi County, Shaanxi Province in the early years of Daoguang's reign in the Qing Dynasty. It is now collected in the Chinese History Museum.
With a height of 101.9 cm, a diameter of 77.8 cm, and a weight of 153.5 kg, this tripod has straight and symmetrical ears, round bottom and column feet. It is dignified and solemn in shape. It is the largest famous tripod unearthed in the Western Zhou Dynasty so far. There are 9 lines of 291 characters inscribed on the inner wall, recording the 23rd year of King Kang of Zhou Dynasty. In the 23rd year of the reign of King Kang of Zhou Dynasty, Zhou narrated to Yu the experience of founding the country of the three previous kings Wen, Wu and Cheng and the lessons of the fall of King Yin. He warned Yu that he should follow the example of his ancestors and loyally assist the royal family. In order to thank the king for his life, he built this cauldron to remember his events.
The Great Tripod is an important bronze vessel in the Western Zhou Dynasty. It has a large number of inscriptions and large characters. The brushwork is both square and round. The thickness is varied. The starting and ending sharp circles vary depending on the situation. The style is rigorous and graceful. , smooth and graceful, neat in shape, vertical and horizontal in density, it is indeed a model of bronze inscriptions in the early Western Zhou Dynasty. The San family plate, also known as the Yaren plate, was a plate made by King Li of the Western Zhou Dynasty (857 BC to 842 BC). Unearthed during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, it was once stored in the inner palace of the Qianlong Mansion and is now in the National Palace Museum in Taiwan.
The height of the plate is 20.6 cm, the diameter is 54.6 cm, and the inscription is 19 lines and 357 words. The Jishi people assigned the land to the San family in a contract, hence the name. It is an important material for studying the land system of the Western Zhou Dynasty. The inscriptions are in large characters, and the brushwork, knotting and composition are wild and interesting. Most of the characters are in a horizontal position, which is different from the inscriptions that are mostly in a vertical position. The center of gravity of the characters jumps from left to right, giving people a sense of jumping. Therefore, there are also changes in its composition, giving people a sense of ease and elegance. It is an important inscription material from the late Western Zhou Dynasty. Maogong Ding is a Jinwen Ding from the period of King Xuan of the Western Zhou Dynasty (827 BC to 782 BC). It was unearthed in Qishan County, Shaanxi Province during the late Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty and is now in the National Palace Museum in Taiwan.
The tripod is 53.8 centimeters high and 47.9 centimeters in diameter. It has a round belly and hoof-shaped feet. The inscription inside the abdomen contains 32 lines and 497 words, making it the longest inscription ever found on a bronze vessel. The inscription records that the world was in turmoil. The King of Zhou ordered Mao Gong Wencuo to assist the royal family, and rewarded him with food, wine, clothes, cars, weapons, ceremonial guards and other items: it is an important document and object for studying the history of the Western Zhou Dynasty.
The inscription is rigorous in writing, strong and thin in structure, vertical in posture, flowing smoothly and majestic, and the composition is scattered and free. It is really a treasure in bronze inscriptions. Guo Jizi white plate is a vessel from the period of King Xuan of the Western Zhou Dynasty (827 BC-782 BC). It was unearthed in Guochuansi, Baoji, Shaanxi Province during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty and is now in the collection of the Chinese History Museum. The plate is rectangular, 137.2 centimeters long, 39.5 centimeters high, 86.2 centimeters wide and weighing 215.3 kilograms. It is the bath set of Guo Jizibai and is also the largest copper plate discovered so far. The inscription records that Guo Ji Zibai was ordered by the King of Zhou to conquer the powerful tribes in the northwest (i.e. the Xiongnu) east of Luoshui. He was rewarded for his meritorious service. The inscription is a four-character rhyme poem. Although the characters vary in size, they are graceful in form, exquisite and exquisite, with neat lines and sparse white text. In terms of the writing pen, it is obvious that he pauses for a moment before finishing the pen and then moves forward. This pioneered the Shigu style of writing, which is called Zhenwen in contemporary calligraphy history. Xiaozhuan, also known as Qin Zhuan, is a popular calligraphy style compiled by Prime Minister Li Si after the unification of Qin. Before the unification of the Qin Dynasty, due to long-term regional separation, "speech had different sounds and characters had different shapes", the writing form was very inconsistent, and the phenomenon of polymorphism of one character was very serious. For example, there are more than 20 ways to write "sheep", which brings great inconvenience to the development of economy and cultural exchanges. Therefore, while unifying the currency, train tracks, and weights and measures systems, we also focused on promoting the "books go together" policy. "Shuowen Jiezi·Xu" records that "Prime Minister Li Si Nai played the same tune, and dismissed those who did not agree with Qin Wen. Si wrote the "Cangtian Jie Pian", Chefu ordered Zhao Gao to write the "Ai Li Pian", and Taishi ordered Hu Wu to write the "Ai Li Pian" "Bo Xue Chapter" all adopted the large seal script of Shi Zhou, or made some minor changes, so-called small seal script. "It can be seen that the small seal script evolved from the large seal script of Zhou Wen. On the basis of Zhouwen, Li Si cut out the complex and simplified it, abolished the variants, and created the Qin seal script, which unified the writing system across the country. This style of calligraphy is more simplified, with even lines and vertical characters. It is a great progress for Chinese characters in our country and an important milestone in the history of Chinese character development. It opened up a broad road for the subsequent changes in regular script, official script, xing script and cursive script. Some small seals are cast on ironware, and some are engraved on stone tablets and stone steles. Judging from the actual materials seen so far, Qin seals are generally cast and engraved on ironware, weights and measures, seals, currency, and imperial edicts. The characters are large and small, the composition is natural, the knots are dignified, and the branches are white and neat. They are the essence and representative of Xiaozhuan. Among his masterpieces handed down from generation to generation are the remnants of "Qinshan Carved Stones", of which only 10 characters remain. There are also two original stone rubbings of "Taishan" and "Langyatai" extant, and later generations' copies of "Kuiji" and "Yishan" have been handed down. It is said that the above-mentioned stone carvings were all written by Li Si.
The Taishan Remembering Stone, also known as the Taishan Monument, was erected in the 28th year of the Qin Dynasty (219 BC) when the First Emperor visited Mount Tai in the east. It was written by Prime Minister Li Si. The stone is 4 feet high and is surrounded by engraved texts. Three sides are the imperial edict of the first emperor and one side is the imperial edict of the second emperor. The main content is "Praise to the virtues of Qin". The font is small seal script, and the original remnants of the stone are now in Dai Temple. There are many rubbings handed down from ancient times, which are characterized by rounded, smooth and smooth strokes, like iron lines; dignified and rigorous structure; slightly longer characters and strong shapes; neat lines and neat white lines, which is the representative of Xiaozhuan. Li Sizhen of the Tang Dynasty said: "The essence of Li Si's small seal script is exquisite in ancient and modern times. Qin Wang's mountains and the emperor's jade seal are as powerful as Qianjun's crossbows and thousands of stones. How can they be a master craftsman of a scholar? They are also precious treasures passed down to the country." Yishan stone carvings Commonly known as the Yishan Stele, it was erected in the 28th year of the First Emperor of Qin Dynasty (219 BC) when he climbed Mount Yishan (Zou County, Shandong Province). It is said that it was written by Prime Minister Li Si in small seal script. The first part of the content is the imperial edict of the first emperor, which has 144 words. From "the emperor said", there is the second emperor's edict, which has 79 words in total. The characters are slightly smaller. The Second Edict was engraved in 209 BC. Its stone has been lost for a long time. What we see now are all copied later. Although most of the ancient and thick strokes of Qin seal script are missing, the strokes are clear, vigorous and round, which is of great value for studying the evolution of seal script art. The Qin Zhao Edition was written in the 26th year of Qin Shi Huang (221 BC) and records the contents of Qin Shi Huang’s edicts. His strokes are vigorous and free, with the same size and shape, and the lines are sometimes sparse and sometimes dense. Although not neat, the front and back are interesting.