ChineseCalligraphy1Content•Briefhistory•Famousfigures•Primarystyles•fourtreasuresofthestudy2History•16th-11thcenturyB.C.inscriptionsonbonesortortoiseshellsoftheShangDynasty(甲骨文)•13thcenturyB.C.-A.D2ndcentury•Jīnwén(Bronzewarescript)•Dàzhuàn(LargeSealScript)•Xiǎozhuàn—characterunificationinthetimeofQinShiHuang3Famousfigures•王羲之(A.D.303-361)Wei-Jindynasty•Acclaimedas“SaintofCalligraphy”(“书圣”)•Works:LantingXu(兰亭序)—PrefacetothePoemsCollectedfromtheOrchidPavilion(兰亭序)•Charmof“之”in20differentstyles4颜真卿(A.D.709-785)—Tangdynasty•OneofthefourgreatestmastersofkaishuYanZhenqingusedtopractisecalligraphywhilesweepingtheyardwithagroomwhenhewasyoung.LaterheaskedZhangXun,afamouscalligrapheronhowtoachievetheachievementsastheancients.Afteryearsofhardworkandcombininghissentimentsandambitionsfromthebattlefield,hisworksreachedtheconsummatelevel.Yan’sworks:firmandstretchy5柳公权(778-865)—Tangdynasty•LiuGongquan,amasterofkaishuandcursive(行草)whoisoftenedmentionedwithYanZhenqing.Kaishu:vigorousandrigorousRunning-cursive:fluentandflowing6黄庭坚(1045-1105)HuangTingjian•AcalligrapherandpoetinSongdynasty.•Hisworksarefancyandfirm,leadingchangeofthetrend.7Popularstyles•隶书Theclericalscript•AnarchaicstyleofChinesecalligraphywhichevolvedintheWarringStatesperiodtotheQindynasty,wasdominantintheHandynasty,andremainedinusethroughtheWèi-Jìnperiods.•Itoftenfeaturesawavelikeflaringofstroke,especiallyadominantrightwardordownwarddiagonalstroke.8Popularstyles•楷书Regularscript/kǎishū•RegularscriptcameintobeingbetweentheEasternHànandCáoWèidynasties,anditsfirstknownmasterwasZhōngYáo(钟繇)knownas“fatherofregularscript”.•Itismostcommoninmodernwritingsandpublications.9Popularstyles•行书Semi-cursivescript/runningscript/xíngshū•ItbelongstoacursivestyleofChinesecharacters.•Easytoreadcomparedtocursive10Popularstyles•草书Cursivescript/Grassscript•fastertowritethanotherstyles,butdifficulttoreadforthoseunfamiliarwithit.Itfunctionsprimarilyasakindofshorthandscriptorcalligraphicstyle.11Fourtreasuresofthestudy•Brush:bambooandweasel(黄鼬)hair•Inkandinkstick:madefromlampblack(soot)andbinders,grindedwithwaterbeforeuse.•Paper:SpecialtypesofpapercalledXuanzhiisused,fromTatarwingceltis(青檀)andothermaterials.•Inkstone:usedtogrindthesolidinkstickintoliquidinkandtocontaintheinkonceitisliquid.Madeof:stone,ceramic,orclayfromthebanksoftheYellowRiver12Thankyou!13