{"id":337,"date":"2018-07-20T21:27:34","date_gmt":"2018-07-20T21:27:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/calligraphy\/?post_type=chapter&p=337"},"modified":"2019-01-11T22:10:10","modified_gmt":"2019-01-11T22:10:10","slug":"the-song-dynasty","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/intro-to-chinese-calligraphy\/chapter\/the-song-dynasty\/","title":{"rendered":"The Song Dynasty: Its Distinctive “Skinny, Golden” Style of Calligraphy"},"content":{"raw":"
This chapter highlights the most culturally brilliant era in the later imperial Chinese history\u00a0and covers the versatility of\u00a0differing stroke patterns.<\/i><\/div>\r\n

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

1 Two Sub-Dynasties<\/h2>\r\nThe Song<\/em> Dynasty (960-1279 AD), lasting more than 300 years, was\u00a0divided into two distinct periods: Northern<\/em> Song \u5317\u5b8b\/b\u0115i s\u00f2ng\u00a0and Southern <\/em>Song \u5357\u5b8b\/. During the\u00a0Northern <\/em>(960\u20131127),\u00a0the dynasty controlled most of what is now Eastern China.\u00a0The\u00a0Southern <\/em>(1127\u20131279 AD) refers to the period after the Song<\/em> lost control of its northern half due to its defeat by the Jin<\/em> (\u91d1\/j\u012bn, a country to the north of China). As a result, the Song<\/em> court retreated south of the\u00a0Yangtze\u00a0River.\r\n

2 Social Development<\/h2>\r\nGenerally speaking, the Song<\/em>\u00a0is among the greatest in China's history. Social development flourished. So did technology, science, philosophy, mathematics, and engineering. Inventions included woodblock printing and\u00a0movable-type\u00a0printing, leading to the spread of literature and, thereafter, printed forms of information.\r\n

3 Song Poetry<\/h2>\r\nSong<\/em>\u00a0poetry, called Ci<\/em> (\u8bcd\/\u8a5e\/c\u00ed), evolved from Tang<\/em>\u00a0poetry. Certain fixed-rhythm forms (originally tunes of songs) characterize its poetry. Each poem has a title that specifies a particular fixed pattern of tone, rhythm, number of syllables (or characters) per line and the number of lines. Surprisingly it has little or nothing to do with a poem's content.\u00a0Prominent Song<\/em> poets include Su Shi (\u82cf\u8f7c\/\u8607\u8efe\/s\u016b sh\u00ec), Ouyang Xiu (\u6b27\u9633\u4fee\/\u6b50\u967d\u8129\/\u014du y\u00e1ng xi\u016b),\u00a0Lu You (\u9646\u6e38\/l\u00f9 y\u00f3u),\u00a0Yang Wanli (\u6768\u4e07\u91cc\/\u694a\u842c\u91cc\/y\u00e1ng w\u00e0n l\u012d), and Li Qingzhao (\u674e\u6e05\u7167\/l\u012d q\u012bng zh\u00e0o).\r\n

4 Calligraphy<\/h2>\r\nFour master calligraphers were revered during this time. They are \u82cf\u8f7c\/\u8607\u8efe, \u9ec4\u5ead\u575a\/\u9ec3\u5ead\u5805\/hu\u00e1ng t\u00edng ji\u0101n, \u7c73\u82be\/m\u012d f\u00fa, and \u8521\u8944\/c\u00e0i xi\u0101ng.\r\n\r\nSu Shi (\u82cf\u8f7c\/\u8607\u8efe, 1037-1101), also known as Su Dongpo (\u82cf\u4e1c\u5761\/\u8607\u6771\u5761), was a well-known writer, painter and calligrapher. He\u00a0combined the technique of painting with that of calligraphy, emphasizing freehand brushwork that could express his own impression or mood. His thinking was that, like a person, the essentials of good calligraphy should include the soul, flesh, bone, blood, and vital energy. A beginner should first learn to write in regular script, he claimed, so as to gain solid mastery of other styles of calligraphy. This view has been widely acknowledged even today. Representative Su's works include \u5bd2\u98df\u5e16 (Inscription of Hanshi<\/em>) (Figure 1), \u8d64\u58c1\u8d4b\/\u8d64\u58c1\u8ce6\/ch\u00ec b\u00ec f\u00f9 (Red Cliff Rhapsody<\/em>), etc.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_924\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"653\"]\"\" Figure 1: \u5bd2\u98df\u5e16 by \u82cf\u8f7c\/\u8607\u8efe[\/caption]\r\n\r\nMi Fu (\u7c73\u82be\/m\u012d\u00a0f\u00fa) (1051-1107) was a great calligrapher, calligraphy critic, and a painter known for landscape drawings and character sketches. As a calligrapher, he held a mastery of all writing styles. His representative works include the \u8700\u7d20\u5e16\/sh\u016d\u00a0s\u00f9\u00a0ti\u00e8 (<\/span>Poem of Shu Su<\/em>) (Figure 2), \u745e\u677e\u56fe\/\u745e\u677e\u5716\/ru\u00ec and s\u014dng t\u00fa (<\/span>Poem of Picturesque Pavilion<\/em>) (Figure 3), etc.\u00a0As a calligraphy critic, his works such as the \u4e66\u53f2\/\u66f8\u53f2\/sh\u016b sh\u012d (<\/span>History of Calligraphy<\/em>) show deep insight into the essence of calligraphy. For example, Mi Fu suggested that one should always study authentic ancient calligraphy rather than copying rubbings from stone inscriptions.<\/span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_954\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"591\"]\"\" Figure 2: \u8700\u7d20\u5e16 (Part) by Mi Fu[\/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_943\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"404\"]\"\" Figure 3:\u00a0\u745e\u677e\u56fe\/\u745e\u677e\u5716\u00a0by Mi Fu[\/caption]\r\n\r\nIn addition, Emperor Huizong (\u5b8b\u5fbd\u5b97\/s\u00f2ng hu\u012b z\u014dng, 1082-1135) of the <\/span>Northern Song<\/em>, although politically fatuous and incompetent, was also a calligrapher and painter of great reputation. He originated the \u7626\u91d1\u4f53\/\u7626\u91d1\u9ad4\/sh\u00f2u j\u012bn t\u012d (<\/span>Skinny Golden Style<\/em>) featuring thin, sturdy strokes\u00a0in contrast to conventional norms (Figure 4).<\/span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_948\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"557\"]\"\" Figure 4: \u7626\u91d1\u4f53\/\u7626\u91d1\u9ad4 by Emperor Huizong[\/caption]\r\n

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

1 Calligraphy Techniques<\/h2>\r\n\u5706\u7b14\/\u5713\u7b46\/yu\u00e1n b\u012d\u00a0and\u00a0\u65b9\u7b14\/\u65b9\u7b46\/f\u0101ng b\u012d\u00a0are a pair of related techniques that reflect Yin<\/em> and Yang<\/em> in order. When should\u00a0\u5706\u7b14\/\u5713\u7b46\u00a0or\u00a0\u65b9\u7b14\/\u65b9\u7b46 be used in a character or piece of calligraphy? A general principal is to maintain a good balance between Yin<\/em> and Yang<\/em>.\r\n

1.1\u00a0Round-shaped Strokes \u5706\u7b14\/\u5713\u7b46<\/h4>\r\n\u5706\u7b14\/\u5713\u7b46 refers to a stroke part that is to be written in a round shape. These parts can form the beginning, ending, or a particular turning. The\u00a0\u5706\u7b14\/\u5713\u7b46 can be made in two ways. The beginning or ending of a stroke can be done with concealed tips (\u85cf\u950b\/\u85cf\u92d2\/c\u00e1ng f\u0113ng), the turn by writing a smooth curve. See the circled stroke parts in figure 5.\r\n

1.2 Square-shaped Strokes \u65b9\u7b14\/\u65b9\u7b46<\/h4>\r\n\u65b9\u7b14\/\u65b9\u7b46 is a stroke shape that takes in a square-like form. Being angular or sharper, \u65b9\u7b14\/\u65b9\u7b46 happens also at the beginning, turning, and ending parts of a stroke. To produce a\u00a0\u65b9\u7b14\/\u65b9\u7b46 beginning or ending, the brush doesn't need a backward stroke. See the squared stroke parts in Figure 5.\r\n\r\n\"\"\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\"\"\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\"\"\r\n\r\nFigure 5: \u5706\u7b14\/\u5713\u7b46 and\u00a0\u65b9\u7b14\/\u65b9\u7b46<\/i>\r\n

2 Stroke Writing<\/h2>\r\nThese two strokes are each part of a radical. To write both strokes well, a calligrapher should start with a short \u65b9\u7b14\/\u65b9\u7b46 horizontal, then make a\u00a0\u65b9\u7b14\/\u65b9\u7b46 turn, and complete the rest.\r\n\r\n\"\" \"\"\r\n

3 Characters<\/h2>\r\n

3.1 Stroke Order<\/h4>\r\nArch Chinese<\/a> lists 12 rules of Chinese character writing order. Below is Rule 12:\r\n