The characteristics of bronze inscriptions are as follows:
The bronze calligraphy of the Shang Dynasty was produced on the basis of oracle bone inscriptions. It has a small number of characters, long and thin fonts, powerful and majestic writing styles, dense and dense movement, rigorous structure, dignified situation, and each has its own charm. Someone once summarized it into two styles. One is a vigorous writing style with a plump body, with many sharp edges at the beginning and end of the strokes, and fat pens in between. The other is a powerful writing style with a thin body and mostly straight strokes, with little or no exposure. Edge.
From the perspective of calligraphy and calligraphy style, the overall style of the bronze inscriptions of the early Western Zhou Dynasty is delicate and graceful. The strokes are sharp at the beginning and end, with obvious waves, rigorous structure, and smooth movement. The style of his early works is simple and plain, with many straight and straight hanging needle brushwork, still with the influence of oracle bone inscriptions.
The contents of the bronze inscriptions
The contents of the bronze inscriptions are records of activities or events such as sacrificial rituals, orders, edicts, battles, hunts, covenants, etc. at that time, which all reflect the history of the time. social life. The inscriptions are neat and elegant, simple and thick. Compared with oracle bone inscriptions, they are free of rigidity and become more diverse and richer. Bronze inscriptions basically belong to the Zhuan style. These words had been discovered during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. At that time, someone brought a tripod excavated in Fenyang to the palace. Therefore, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty designated the reign name as Yuan Ding. Later, bronze inscriptions were discovered one after another. Song Dynasty literati Ouyang Xiu and Zhao Mingcheng were both good calligraphers and had researched and recorded bronze inscriptions. The bronze inscriptions on the "Mao Gong Tripod" cast during the reign of King Xuan of Zhou Dynasty are very representative. Its inscription has 32 lines and 497 words, which is the longest inscription on a bronze unearthed. The font of the "Mao Gong Tripod" inscription is well-structured, thin and smooth, the layout is neither hurried nor hurried, and the lines are appropriate. It is the best among bronze inscriptions. In addition, the inscriptions of "Da Yu Ding" and "Sanshi Pan" are also excellent works of bronze inscriptions.