Chinese calligraphy art began in the production stage of Chinese characters. "Sound cannot be transmitted to other places, but stays in different times, so words are born. Words are the traces of meaning and sound." (Yu Chu) "Shu Lin Zao Jian", compiled by Ma Zonghuo) Therefore, writing was born. The first works of calligraphy were not words, but glyphs - hieroglyphs or pictorial characters.
The engraved symbols of Chinese characters first appeared on pottery. The initial characterization symbol only represented a rough concept of chaos and had no exact meaning.
More than 8,000 years ago, the Cishan and Peiligang cultures appeared in the Yellow River Basin. There were many quasi-text symbols on the handmade ceramics unearthed in Peiligan. These symbols were the ancestors of the ancestors. It is a chaotic combination of communication function, note-taking function and pattern decoration function. Although these are not Chinese characters that modern people can recognize, they are indeed the prototype of Chinese characters.
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The evolution of calligraphy generally refers to the evolution of calligraphy fonts. Generally speaking, the Wei and Jin Dynasties were not only the end period of calligraphy style, but also the period of perfection of calligraphy techniques.
Chinese calligraphy has a long history, the style of calligraphy has evolved, and the art of calligraphy is fascinating. From oracle bone inscriptions and bronze inscriptions to large seal script, small seal script, and official script, to the cursive script, regular script, and running script of the Eastern Han, Wei, and Jin Dynasties, calligraphy has always exuded unique artistic charm.
From hieroglyphics to oracle bone inscriptions, the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, the Spring and Autumn Period, and the Han Dynasty's bamboo and silk ink and red ink handwriting, Tang Kai's legal code, the Song Dynasty's Shangyi, the Yuan and Ming Dynasty's Shangtai, and the disputes over stele and inscriptions in the Qing Dynasty.