Chapter 4 Section 3 Calligraphy Art in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods

In 770 BC, King Ping of Zhou moved the capital to Luoyi. Since then, it has been called the Eastern Zhou Dynasty in history, and it has been divided into two parts, namely Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period.China has entered the famous period of local separatism in history. Due to the separation of the regimes, the regional characteristics of each region have been fully presented culturally.In terms of calligraphy, there are also a variety of styles, and they compete for victory: some are good at being strange, some are good at simplicity, some are good at being magnificent, and some even have artistic practices, and so on.As a result, a complicated situation was formed, and the writing was rather chaotic.However, a clear clue of historical development can still be found: that is, the evolution track from Dazhuan to Qinzhuan represented by Shiguwen.

Stone drum inscriptions are the earliest stone inscriptions that can be seen in our country.Although it is said to be a thing from the time of King Xuan of Zhou, and it is said to be a thing of King Cheng of Zhou, recent people have tested it as a thing of Qin during the Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period.We compare it with the bronze inscriptions of the Western Zhou Dynasty, and its maturity should be later. There are a total of 10 stone drums, which are now preserved in the Palace Museum in Beijing.Four-character poems are engraved on it, describing the hunting situation of the monarch.It was discovered in Fengxiang, Shaanxi in the early Tang Dynasty.It is estimated that there are more than 700 characters in Shi Shang's original text; but after several vicissitudes of life, it has been damaged and obliterated repeatedly, and now only more than 270 characters remain.

The characters on the stone drum are different from the bronze inscriptions, but judging from their pattern and style, they still belong to the seal series.However, it is very rigorous, and it seems that there are clues of Qin Zhuan.Since it was discovered, it has been highly praised by the world. Du Fu, Han Yu, Wei Yingwu, Su Dongpo, Kang Youwei, etc. have all praised it in poems and essays.Calligraphers such as Ouyang Xun, Yu Shinan, Chu Suiliang, Huang Tingjian, etc. also gave a very high evaluation.Shigu Wen can prove that it is a historical necessity to move from big seal to small seal, and it is the inevitable direction of people's aesthetic pursuit at that time.

Before Qin unified the country, there were still some handwritings left, such as bamboo slips, slips [du], and Zeng [zengzeng] books, that is, some characters written on bamboo slips, wooden slips, or silk, and also written on stone in vermilion. The text on the policy or jade policy.Their style is still big seal, but they are not cast and carved. Naturally, there are some restrictions on the texture and the convenience of handwriting, so there are some changes in the shape of the characters.Usually, these changes are regarded as the initiation of slave changes. From these writings of Zhu and Mo, we can see that there were convenient pens, inks, and Zhu at that time, and we can also see that the formation of Xiaozhuan and ancient Li in the future came from a foundation and a basis for changes, not out of thin air. fabricated.Research pens, which are relatively early materials, should be given full attention.