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    The Art of Chinese Calligraphy: A Poetic Dance of Ink and Spirit

    Written by: Haroon Shuaib
    Posted on: August 23, 2024 | | 中文

    From a very early period, calligraphy was considered as the supreme visual art form in China

    Calligraphy is considered supreme among the visual arts in China. From a very early period, calligraphy was considered not just a form of decorative art; rather, it was viewed as the supreme visual art form and was more valued than painting and sculpture. In fact, from ancient times in China, Calligraphy was ranked alongside poetry as a means of self-expression and cultivation. The art of calligraphy, the stylized artistic writing of Chinese characters, unites the many languages spoken in China. The fact that the early Chinese written words were simplified pictorial images, indicating meaning through suggestion or imagination, lends itself to simple images, capable of developing with changing conditions by means of slight variations.

    According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the earliest known Chinese logographs are engraved on the shoulder bones of large animals and on tortoise shells. For this reason, the script found on these objects is commonly called jiaguwen, or shell-and-bone script. Archaeologists and paleographers have demonstrated that this script was widely used in the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BCE). Each of the ideographs was carefully composed before it was engraved. Although the figures are not entirely uniform in size, they do not vary greatly. Since the literal content of most jiaguwen is related to ancient religious, mythical prognostication or to rituals, jiaguwen is also known as oracle bone script.

    Oracle bone inscriptions, or Jiaguwen, are widely regarded as the oldest-known, fully-developed form of Chinese writing

    It was said that Cangjie, the legendary inventor of Chinese writing, got his ideas from observing animals’ footprints and birds’ claw marks on the sand as well as other natural phenomena. He then started to work out simple images from what he conceived representation of different objects. Each image is composed of a minimum number of lines and yet easily recognizable. Nouns must have come first. Later, new ideographs had to be invented to record actions, feelings, and new variations were added to the already existing ideograph to give a new meaning to each alteration.

    Jinwen, also called Bronzeware Script, means characters inscribed on all kinds of bronze artifacts

    Jiaguwen was followed by a form of writing found on bronze vessels associated with ancestor worship and thus known as jinwen (metal script). Wine and raw or cooked food were placed in specially designed cast bronze vessels and offered to the ancestors in special ceremonies. The inscriptions, which might range from a few words to several hundred, were created by different artists. The bronze script—which is also called guwen (ancient script)— represents the second stage of development in Chinese calligraphy. In the 3rd century BCE, the bronze script was unified and regularity enforced. Shihuangdi, the first emperor of Qin, gave the task of working out the new script to his Prime Minister, Li Si, and permitted only the new style to be used. This third stage in the development of Chinese calligraphy was known as xiaozhuan (small seal) style. Small-seal script is characterized by lines of even thickness and many curves and circles. Each word tends to fill up an imaginary square, and a passage written in small-seal style has the appearance of a series of equal squares neatly arranged in columns and rows, each of them balanced and well-spaced.

    The Seal Script became the standard script for official documents and inscriptions during the Qin Dynasty, as it symbolized the authority and power of the emperor.

    This uniform script had been established chiefly to meet the growing demands for record keeping. Unfortunately, the small-seal style could not be written speedily and therefore was not entirely suitable, giving rise to the fourth stage, lishu, or official style. Lishu style did not have circles and there are very few curved lines. Because of the speed needed for writing, the brush in the hand tends to move up and down, and an even thickness of line cannot be easily achieved. Lishu is thought to have been invented by Cheng Miao (240–207 BCE), who had offended Shihuangdi and was serving a 10-year sentence in prison. He spent his time in prison working out this new style, which opened up seemingly endless possibilities for later calligraphers. Freed by lishu, they evolved new variations in the shape of strokes and in character structure.

    Chinese Calligraphy is still consiedred the most sphisticated visual art form

    As lishu curtailed the freedom of hand to express individual artistic taste, a fifth stage developed—zhenshu (kaishu), or regular script. No individual is credited with inventing this style, which was probably created during the period of the Three Kingdoms and Xi Jin (220–317). The Chinese write in regular script today; in fact, what is known as modern Chinese writing is almost 2,000 years old, and the written words of China have not changed since the first century of the Common Era. “Regular script” means “the proper script type of Chinese writing” used by all Chinese for government documents, printed books, and public and private dealings. In this style, each stroke, each square or angle, and even each dot can be shaped according to the will and taste of the calligrapher. Indeed, a word written in regular style presents an almost infinite variety of problems of structure and composition, and, when executed, the beauty of its abstract design can draw the mind away from the literal meaning of the word itself.

    Chinese calligraphy is a meticulous art requiring specific tools. The "Four Treasures of the Study" – brush, ink stick, inkstone, and paper (or silk) – are essential. The brush, typically made of animal hair, is wielded with precision to create varied strokes. Ink, traditionally made from soot and glue, is ground on the inkstone to achieve the desired tone. Mastery of these tools, combined with years of practice, is crucial for producing calligraphy that is visually harmonious and spiritually resonant. China's paper revolutionized communication. Traditionally credited to Cai Lun around 105 CE, papermaking actually predates this by at least a century. Crafted from materials like mulberry, hemp, and bamboo, paper replaced costly silk and heavy bamboo scripts. Combined with inkstone, brush, and ink, it formed the revered "Four Treasures of the Study," essential tools for scholars and artists.

    Contemporary artists continue totake inspiration from Chinese calligraphy to create art - The-Rhythm-of-Love-2 by an Indonesian Artist

    The fundamental inspiration of Chinese calligraphy, as of all arts in China, is nature. In regular script each stroke, even each dot, suggests the form of a natural object. As every twig of a living tree is alive, so every tiny stroke of a piece of fine calligraphy has the energy of a living thing. Printing does not admit the slightest variation in the shapes and structures, but strict regularity is not tolerated by Chinese calligraphers, especially those who are masters of the caoshu. A finished piece of fine calligraphy is not a symmetrical arrangement of conventional shapes but, rather, something like the coordinated movements of a skillfully composed dance—impulse, momentum, momentary poise, and the interplay of active forces combining to form a balanced whole. No wonder that in 2009, UNESCO put it on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021