{"id":237,"date":"2018-07-18T02:53:45","date_gmt":"2018-07-18T02:53:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/calligraphy\/?post_type=chapter&p=237"},"modified":"2019-01-10T12:43:18","modified_gmt":"2019-01-10T12:43:18","slug":"calligraphy-during-the-three-kingdoms","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/intro-to-chinese-calligraphy\/chapter\/calligraphy-during-the-three-kingdoms\/","title":{"rendered":"Calligraphy During the Three Kingdoms Period and Jin Dynasty"},"content":{"raw":"
This chapter reveals that, regardless of political and civil disorder, devotion to calligraphy persevered. It includes details on clerical and regular, or standard, script.<\/em><\/div>\r\n

Part I. Culture<\/h1>\r\n

1 Historical Highlights<\/h2>\r\n

1.1 The Wei <\/em>Period (220-265)<\/h4>\r\nThe Three Kingdoms<\/em> Period (\u4e09\u56fd\/\u4e09\u570b\/s\u0101n gu\u00f3) included three distinctive states: the Wei<\/em> (\u9b4f\/w\u00e8i), the Shu<\/em> (\u8700\/sh\u016d), and the Wu<\/em> (\u5434\/\u5449\/w\u00fa). Among them, scholars of the art of calligraphy consider the Wei<\/em> to have played the most prominent role. At the onset of the\u00a0Wei<\/em>, clerical style (\u96b6\u4e66\/\u96b8\u66f8\/l\u00ec sh\u016b) was still in use - a form followed by such noteworthy calligraphers as Zhong You (\u949f\u7e47\/\u953a\u7e47), Wei Guan (\u536b\u742f\/\u885e\u74d8), Huang Xiang (\u7687\u8c61), Handan Chun (\u90af\u90f8\u6df3\/\u90af\u9132\u6df3), Suo Jing (\u7d22\u9756), and Liu Desheng (\u5218\u5fb7\u5347\/\u5289\u5fb7\u6607), among others.\r\n\r\nThe most celebrated was Zhong You (\u949f\u7e47\/\u953a\u7e47\/zh\u014dng y\u00f3u) (151-230) who, it is said, created regular or standard script (\u6977\u4e66\/\u6977\u66f8\/k\u01cei sh\u016b). This came into use toward the end of the Han\u00a0<\/em>and matured in the Tang<\/em>. Beginners tend to study regular script first because of easy-to-recognize characters that date from this era. Zhong's calligraphy was compared to a \"swan flying in the sky\" and a \"wild goose playing in the lake.\" Emperor Liang Wu Di was so struck by Zhong's genius that he said the calligraphy reflected \"12 kinds of beauty.\"\r\n

1.2 Jin<\/em> Dynasty (Western Jin 265-316\/317, Eastern Jin 317-420)<\/h4>\r\nTwo distinct periods characterize the Jin<\/em>\u00a0(\u664b\/\u6649\/j\u00ecn):\u00a0the Western Jin<\/em> (\u897f\u664b\/\u897f\u6649\/x\u012b\u00a0j\u00ecn), ruling\u00a0China\u00a0from\u00a0265 to 316\/317AD, and the Eastern Jin<\/em> (\u4e1c\u664b\/\u6771\u6649\/d\u014dng j\u00ecn), from\u00a0317 to 420 AD. Although China was reunited under the\u00a0Western<\/em> in 280, it fell into civil war and was open to invasion shortly thereafter. This eventually led to the\u00a0second division\u00a0 - \u00a0the\u00a0<Eastern<\/em>.\r\n

2 Distinguished Calligraphers<\/h2>\r\n

2.1 Madame Wei\u00a0(\u536b\u592b\u4eba\/\u885e\u592b\u4eba)<\/h4>\r\nDespite this turmoil, calligraphy attained its highest art form during the Jin<\/em>, emblematic of renowned calligraphers such as Madame Wei\u00a0(\u536b\u592b\u4eba\/\u885e\u592b\u4eba\/w\u00e8i f\u016b ren)\u00a0and Wang Xizhi (\u738b\u7fb2\u4e4b\/w\u00e1ng x\u012b zh\u012b ). Madame Wei is the presumed author of \u7b14\u9635\u56fe\/\u7b46\u9663\u5716\/b\u012d zh\u00e8n t\u00fa, an important book on calligraphy theory. In her writings she expressed a perspective on the standardized flow of calligraphy and emphasized the importance of brush, ink, ink stone and the seven brush-holding methods. Her role in the development of calligraphy is considered so significant that she is treated as the most renowned and revered female calligrapher in Chinese history.\r\n

2.2 Wang Xizhi (\u738b\u7fb2\u4e4b)<\/h4>\r\nWang Xizhi (303-361) was awarded the title of Calligrapher-Sage. His\u00a0\u5170\u4ead\u96c6\u5e8f\/\u862d\u4ead\u96c6\u5e8f\/l\u00e1n t\u00edng j\u00ed x\u00f9 (literally, Preface to the Poems Collected from the Orchid Pavilion<\/em>), was regarded as the foremost authority on running style. Even though the original treatise was believed buried with an emperor, we can see traces of the work in copies written by great calligraphers who followed.\u00a0For thousands of years Wang's styles have become paradigms of Chinese calligraphy. Another one of his books, \u4e66\u8bba\/\u66f8\u8ad6\/sh\u016b l\u00f9n, On Calligraphy<\/em>, is still regarded as a classic.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_911\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"735\"]\"\" Figure 1: A tracing copy of \u5170\u4ead\u96c6\u5e8f\/\u862d\u4ead\u96c6\u5e8f,\u00a0preserved in Palace Museum in Beijing[\/caption]\r\n

*<\/h3>\r\n

Part II. Calligraphy Writing<\/h1>\r\n

1 Brush Techniques<\/h2>\r\nThe two ends of a stroke can be made differently so as to have different appearances. Techniques often include \u9732\u950b\/\u9732\u92d2 and \u85cf\u950b\/\u85cf\u92d2.\r\n

1.1\u00a0\u9732\u950b\/\u9732\u92d2<\/h4>\r\n\u9732\u950b\/\u9732\u92d2\/l\u00f2u f\u0113ng refers to an exposed, or revealed, tip. To write a stroke with an exposed tip, one moves the brush in the original direction and purposely reveals the tip of the stroke. The stroke with the exposed tip looks sharp on the end.\r\n

1.2\u00a0\u85cf\u950b\/\u85cf\u92d2<\/h4>\r\n\u85cf\u950b\/\u85cf\u92d2\/c\u00e1ng f\u0113ng\u00a0is a concealed tip. To make a concealed tip requires starting with a short backward beginning (called \u9006\u950b\u8d77\u7b14\/\u9006\u92d2\u8d77\u7b46\/n\u00ec f\u0113ng q\u012d b\u012d). To finish the stroke one makes an additional short backward movement (called\u00a0\u9006\u950b\u6536\u7b14\/\u9006\u92d2\u6536\u7b46\/n\u00ec f\u0113ng sh\u014du b\u012d). The stroke with the concealed tip look blunter.\r\n

2 Strokes: \u94a9\/\u920e<\/h2>\r\nThere are many types of hooks (\u94a9\/\u920e\/g\u014du) in Chinese calligraphy. Each is actually part of a stroke. These include: a hook with a vertical-hook; a bend-hook; a horizontal-turning-hook; and a horizontal-hook (Figure 2). Hooks can point to the left side (see Figure 2) or right side (see Chapter 6). All of them result from\u00a0a sudden change of brush direction followed by a swift pointed end. The correct way of writing hooks, in general, is to pause at the turning point, change the writing direction, and then make the triangular-like hook end.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\"\"<\/td>\r\n\"\"<\/td>\r\n\"\"<\/td>\r\n\"\"<\/td>\r\n\"\"<\/td>\r\n\"\"<\/td>\r\n\"\"<\/td>\r\n\"\"<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\nFigure 2: Four types of leftward hook<\/i>\r\n

3 Composing Characters<\/h2>\r\n

3.1 Stroke Order<\/h4>\r\nArch Chinese<\/a> lists 12 rules of Chinese character writing order. Below is Rule 6 (for review).<\/em>\r\n\r\nRule 6:\u00a0Center verticals before outside \"wings\"\u00a0(e.g., <\/em>\u5c0f, \u6c34, and \u5c71<\/em>)<\/em>\r\n\r\nFor details, visit the Arch Chinese website.\u00a0Yellowbridge Online Dictionary<\/a> can also provide additional information.\r\n

3.2 Characters<\/h4>\r\n\u5c0f\/xi\u0103o\/small, little, young; \u5b87\/y\u016d\/universe; \u65b9\/f\u0101ng\/square, location\r\n

3.3 Sample Calligraphy Characters<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\"\"<\/td>\r\n\"\"<\/td>\r\n\"\"<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n \r\n

3.4\u00a0Writing by following rules.<\/h4>\r\n