Bronze inscriptions, formerly known as "Zhong Dingwen", are inscriptions carved on bronze wares of Shang and Zhou Dynasties. The inscriptions on the inscriptions are intricate and varied, and the strokes are round and heavy. Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, many seal engravers like to print with bronze inscriptions, which has achieved concise and vivid results. For information about inscriptions on bronze, please refer to Wencun and Biansan Dynasties.
seal character
Later, "Qin used it in the Warring States Period, and the six countries used ancient prose" (see Wang Guowei's Shu Zhengxu). According to legend, Wen Shu was written by Zhou Taishi Gong, so it was named. Compared with bronze inscriptions, the shape and structure of bronze inscriptions are somewhat the same, but the bronze inscriptions only tend to be simplified and linear, and the shape is neat and stable. This can be seen from Shi Guwen and other stone products, and there are also materials in the Collection of Ancient Inscriptions.
China's classical prose
Ancient prose is the written language used by Qi, Chu, Yan, Han, Zhao and Wei countries except Qin in the Warring States period, also known as "ancient prose of six countries". The form of ancient prose is simplified and the structure is strange. There is also a kind of decorative calligraphy in ancient Chinese, such as characters featuring birds and insects, decorative ornaments and long tails, which can be found in bronzes, weapons, pottery, currency, simple books, silk books and jade books of the Six Kingdoms. For reference, Cao Wei's Stone Carvings of the Three Kingdoms, Zhengshi Santi Shijing, Zhongshan Wang Zhuan Ji, Houshu, etc.
The ancient seal writing is very similar to the ancient prose of the six countries, and it is one of the ancient prose. The ancient seal script has various forms, and some words are difficult to identify. This kind of writing is especially included in the Selected Works of Ancient Seals.
Small/small seal characters
Xiao Zhuan is a script compiled by Li Si and others after Qin Shihuang unified China. This script "is based on Shi Shuo Da Zhuan", or it has been modified quite a bit, so-called Xiao Zhuan also "(see Preface to Explaining Characters in Shuo Wen). The shape of Xiao Zhuan is vertical, and the strokes are even, even and neat, and neatly arranged. Those with round and slightly thick pens are called "jade seal printing" and those with thin and round pens are called "iron line printing". Refer to Taishan Stone Carvings in Qin Dynasty and Shuo Wen Jie Zi compiled by Xu Shen in Han Dynasty.
Imitation seal
Imitation printing is the character used for seals in Qin dynasty, which is slightly changed on the basis of seals, such as shortening the long strokes of seals, changing round strokes into square folds and changing the vertical direction of seals into squares. Mainly to adapt to the shape of the seal. In the Qin Dynasty and the early years of the Western Han Dynasty, seal cutting was copied, which should be very similar to the imperial edict of the Qin Dynasty. This kind of imitation has been included in Jinshi Dictionary, Hanyin Zi and so on.
Miao chuan
Miao seal is a kind of characters used in seals of Han Dynasty. One is that the strokes are flat, square and straight, the font is solemn and vigorous, the structure has increased and decreased, and there are many changes. Obviously influenced by the official script of the Han Dynasty. This kind of seal script does not conform to the purpose of Six Books, so it is called Miao seal script, and the word "Miao" contains fallacy. There are also images of birds, fish and insects in Chinese and Indian seal scripts, or twisted strokes. This kind of writing is vivid, dexterous and full of picture sense. Some people think that this writing is Miao seal script, because it is more prepared. Books such as Miao Zhuan Fenyun, Hanyin Fenyun and Hanyin Zizheng contain such characters.
In addition to the above types of seal characters, there are many seals, such as Wen Tao, currency, mirror inscription, tile, and seal inscription. Due to the continuous enrichment and development of seal cutting in content and form, official script, regular script and cursive script have also come out one after another.