The earliest works of calligraphy art are not words, but some descriptive symbols-hieroglyphics or picture words. From the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties, through the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, to the Qin and Han Dynasties, the historical development of more than 2,000 years also promoted the development of calligraphy art.
China characters developed to the stage of Xiao Zhuan, and gradually began to finalize the design (outline, strokes, structure), and the pictographic meaning weakened, making the characters more symbolic and reducing the confusion and difficulties in writing and reading.
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Chinese characters in different countries were different in simplicity and complexity. After Qin Shihuang destroyed the Six Kingdoms, he ordered the Qin Dynasty's Biography as the standard to unify the national characters. Seal script, also known as "seal script", is a combination of small seal script and big seal script. Because it is customary to call seal script "big seal script", later generations often refer to it exclusively.
Extended data
Xiao Zhuan (Qin Zhuan) is a simplified character evolved from Da Zhuan, and it is also the product of large-scale standardization of characters by administrative means for the first time in the history of China.
Xiao Zhuan was popular in China until the end of the Western Han Dynasty, and was gradually replaced by official script. After Qin Shihuang destroyed the Six Kingdoms, Qin's Biography was taken as the standard to unify the writing.