Oracle Bone Inscriptions is the cultural product of Shang Dynasty (about17th century BC-1century BC), about 3600 years ago. Oracle Bone Inscriptions has a symmetrical and stable pattern. Calligraphy has three elements, namely, using a pen, finishing words and composing music. Judging from the number and structure of fonts, Oracle Bone Inscriptions has developed into a more rigorous and systematic writing. The "six-character" principle of Chinese characters is reflected in Oracle Bone Inscriptions. However, the traces of the original pictures and words are still obvious, and the meaning of pictographs is also obvious.
2. Jinwen
It appeared a little later than Oracle Bone Inscriptions, also known as Zhong Dingwen. In the bronze age of Shang and Zhou Dynasties, the bronze vessels were represented by ding, and the musical instruments were represented by bell. "Zhong Ding" is synonymous with bronze ware. Therefore, Zhong Dingwen or inscriptions on bronze refers to inscriptions cast or carved on bronzes. The application period of bronze inscriptions is about 800 years, from the end of Shang Dynasty to the Qin Dynasty's destruction of the Six Kingdoms. According to Rong Geng's Jin Wen Bian, there are 3,722 inscriptions, of which 2,420 can be identified.
3. Shi Guwen
Shi Guwen immediately has a drum-shaped stone with a bronze inscription on it. Shi Guwen is a four-character poem, which is the oldest stone carving in China. It is also called "hunting" because it describes hunting in Qin Huang.
The font is between ancient prose and Qin Zhuan, and is generally called "Da Zhuan". Whether the stone drum was carved before or after the Qin Dynasty is inconclusive in archaeology. Guo Moruo thinks this is the work of Qin Xianggong (777-766 BC).
4. Big and small pass
Dazhuan is a widely used font in the Western Zhou Dynasty, which is said to be easy to create. Xiao Zhuan, also known as Qin Zhuan, is a well-known text compiled by Li Si, the prime minister after the unification of Qin Dynasty.
5. Official script
Also known as "auxiliary book" and "official book". Font name. Flat and square shape, easy to write. It began in the Qin Dynasty and was widely used in the Han and Wei Dynasties. In the Han Dynasty, official script gradually matured and occupied a major position, such as Zhang Qianbei, Ode to Shimen, Cao Quanbei and other masterpieces with different styles, which are still the best models for learning official script.
6. Regular script
Regular script is the font used today, which is richer and more complete than official script. Regular script, the font name, is also called regular script, regular script, real script and official script. It gradually evolved from official script, becoming more simplified and more horizontal and vertical. The book Ci Hai is interpreted as "square in shape and straight in brushwork, which can be used as a model". This kind of Chinese character has the correct font and is a modern popular handwritten orthographic Chinese character.
7. cursive script
Cursive script is also called "Qiu Shu". Broadly speaking, regardless of the era, font and cursive script, it is called cursive script; In a narrow sense, it refers to a font with continuous strokes and convenient writing. About from the Eastern Jin Dynasty, in order to distinguish it from the new cursive script at that time. The cursive script of the Han Dynasty was called Cao Zhang. The new cursive script is relatively called today's grass, which is divided into big grass (also called crazy grass) and small grass. It feels beautiful in madness. As Li Zhimin said: "Come near the pool, consider the reason, get the heart from things, realize the image, and then enter the beauty of cursive script.
8. Running script
Running script is a kind of calligraphy, which is divided into running script and running script. It is developed and originated on the basis of regular script, and it is a font between regular script and cursive script, which is produced to make up for the slow writing speed of regular script and the illegibility of cursive script. "Go" means "go", so it is not as scribbled as cursive script, nor as straight as regular script. Whether it is cursive or cursive in essence.