The Origin of Chinese Calligraphy
Chinese calligraphy is the art of writing words. To study calligraphy, you must first understand the origin and structure of words. The origin of Chinese characters can be traced back to five thousand years ago. The oracle bone inscriptions, which had a complete structure three thousand years ago, showed a certain degree of perfection in their writing techniques and use of tools. The Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties were the early stages of calligraphy art. Unfortunately, archaeological excavations have not yet been able to discover more complete characters of the Xia Dynasty. However, the characters of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties already had the three important elements necessary for the art of calligraphy, including brushwork, structure and composition. Calligraphy had initially taken shape at this time. The calligraphy of this period was mainly reflected in oracle bone inscriptions, bronze inscriptions, stone drum inscriptions, silk scripts, and bamboo (wooden) slips. During this period, writing evolved from practicality to artistry and from the infantile stage to perfection, thus establishing the special status of Chinese calligraphy art.
Oracle bone inscriptions are the earliest legible writing in my country. They are inscriptions written or engraved on tortoise shells and animal bones, as well as a few narrative texts. However, its discovery is a matter of modern history. It was discovered by Wang Yirong in the 25th year of Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty (1889). According to statistics, more than 150,000 pieces of oracle bone inscriptions have been discovered, with more than 4,500 unique characters and about 1,500 legible characters. These characters were carved with sharp tools, or written in ink or ink similar to those written with a brush. The strokes are thin, hard and straight, and the lines, no matter how thick or thin, are strong and three-dimensional, showing the skill of the carver who uses the knife as well as the pen. Calligraphy styles also vary greatly from period to period, ranging from delicate and meticulous to sloppy and extensive. Dong Zuobin once divided the characteristics of the times of oracle bone calligraphy: the first period (Wu Ding) is majestic; the second period (Zugeng and Zujia) is respectful; the third period (Linxin and Kangding) is decadent; the fourth period (Linxin and Kangding) is decadent. The first period (Wu Yi, Wen Ding) is strong and sharp; the fifth period (Di Yi, Di Xin) is strict. Divided by era, the characters in the early period are generally large, the characters in the middle period are small and relatively simple, and the characters in the late period have some characteristics of bronze inscriptions, and some characters are small but very rigorous.
The vast majority of oracle bones are carved with knives. Some of them are filled with ink after being carved. There are also a few oracle bones that are written in ink but not inscribed. It shows that oracle bone inscriptions are usually directly engraved, and some are written first and then engraved. From here we know that the lines of oracle bone inscriptions not only contain the technique of the knife but also the meaning of the brushwork, which cannot be ignored. Due to the limitations of tool materials, its lines are thin and sharp, with straight lines and curves; single and double knives. It is often thicker in the middle and pointed at both ends, but there are still some square and round methods in the starting and ending of the stipples; some straight paintings are slightly curved, and the line stipples appear rich and varied. The structure of characters is generally flat and rectangular, with a meaningful combination of square, round, curved and straight lines. The oracle bone inscriptions are arranged in vertical rows, from top to bottom, left to right or right to left.
Oracle bone inscriptions already have the Chinese character structure rules of the "six books" (pictogram, meaning, meaning, pretext, annotation, and pictophonetic). Oracle bone inscriptions already contain many elements of the art of calligraphy. From the point of view of its stippling, knotting, movement and composition, it is integrated and full of changes, reflecting the artistic skills and artistic literacy of the Shang Dynasty people.