A New Perspective of Text/Growth
Both the big seal script and the small seal script have distinct characteristics of the times in the history of Chinese characters. The relationship between the two fonts is inheritance and development, and the small seal script comes from the change and innovation of the big seal script. The differences between them are mainly manifested in three aspects: origin time, physical characteristics and historical significance.
Both the big seal script and the small seal script are important transitions from hieroglyphics to modern Chinese characters, which have played an important role in standardizing characters and unifying culture.
First, the origin time is different.
The time of origin is one of the most important differences between Da Zhuan and Xiao Zhuan. Dazhuan, which originated in the late Western Zhou Dynasty, evolved from ancient Chinese characters. Xiao Zhuan, formed before and after Qin Shihuang unified China, was simplified and evolved on the basis of Da Zhuan originally used by Qin State.
1. What is big seal script?
Dazhuan is also known as Zhou Zhuan, Shuan Wen, Shuan Zhuan, Shuan Shu and History Book. During the Zhou Xuanwang period, Taishi Biography compiled the first generation of ancient prose and wrote 15 Great Biographies, hence its name. Nowadays, Da Zhuan is common in Shuo Wen Jie Zi and all kinds of Zhongding Yi wares collected by later generations, among which Shi Guwen made it the most famous in this period. Big seal characters are divided into Xia seal characters and Zhou seal characters according to time.
First, Xia Chuan, a legend of Xia Dynasty, was mostly named after bronze inscriptions, and there is no clear textual research in modern archaeology.
Second, The Biography of Zhou, referring to Zhong Dingwen, Shi Guwen and other figures, has been recorded and verified in modern archaeology.
2. What is Xiao Zhuan?
Xiao Zhuan, also known as Qin Zhuan, was created by Li Si, the prime minister of Qin Dynasty. After Qin Shihuang destroyed the six countries, he established the emperor system in the central government, implemented three public offices and nine ministries, and managed state affairs. Abolish the local enfeoffment system and replace it with the county system. At the same time, books are the same language, cars are on the same track, and the measurement and currency are unified.
In order to unify the writing, Prime Minister Li Si was asked to innovate the writing. Therefore, on the basis of seal script in Qin Dynasty, Li Si simplified the complex and created seal script, which was used by later generations. Since then, there are three main styles: Qin Zhuan seal script, Tang seal script and Han seal script.
One is Qin Zhuan, also known as Yujin Seal, whose strokes are rich and plump, like Yujin Seal. The representative figures are Cang Xie by Li and Li Si, Calendar by Zhao Gao and Xue by Hu Wujing.
The second type is the seal of the Tang Dynasty, also known as the iron line seal. The strokes are as thin as lines and as firm as iron. With Li Tang Yang Bing's "the former melon pulp" as the representative.
Third, Chinese seal, also known as official seal, is close to official script. Generally used for solemn occasions and gold wares.
Second, the physical characteristics are different.
Compared with the pre-ancient Chinese characters, Dazhuan and Xiaozhuan are innovative and sublimated in their physical characteristics, and there are similarities and changes. Generally speaking, they are more beautiful and easier to identify, recognize and write.
1. Dazhuan. The lines of seal script are like a "spindle", full and heavy, full of vicissitudes and full of the spirit of stone. When writing Da Zhuan, Chinese brushwork requires a slow pen and unsmooth lines. Only by writing with the brush strokes of seal script can the lines change.
First, lines, compared with the lines with uneven thickness in pre-ancient times, are now even and soft, and the lines drawn in kind are very concise and vivid.
Second, standardization, the glyph structure tends to be neat, and gradually deviates from the original shape of the picture, laying the foundation for the square characters.
2. Xiao Yan. The lines of Xiao Zhuan are like "jade chopsticks", which are round and full, even in thickness and symmetrical left and right. Pay attention to the rhythm and speed when writing Xiao Zhuan, and start writing slowly and gently. Write backwards, and the middle part should be written smoothly at an absolute constant speed. When you close the pen, you should lift it gently like entering the pen, and then go back to the front to close the pen faster, so that the lines you write will be elastic and dynamic.
One is a rectangle, in which the square regular script is one and a half characters, one character is straight and one character is vertical, and the approximate ratio is about 3:2.
Second, the strokes are horizontal and vertical, round and even, and the thickness is basically the same. All horizontal and vertical paintings are equidistant and parallel, and all strokes are mainly round, and the circle is round and square, which makes the circle lively and interesting.
Third, balance and symmetry, spatial division, balance and symmetry are the unique charm of seal script. Symmetry exists not only in left-right symmetry and up-down symmetry, but also in local symmetry of characters, symmetry of circular strokes and left-right inclination.
Fourth, tighten up and loosen up. The main part of most characters in Biography is in the upper part, and the lower part is telescopic feet. Of course, there are also characters with no feet below. The main strokes are in the lower part, and the upper strokes can be raised.
Xiao Zhuan is a simplified version of Da Zhuan, with fine strokes, well-proportioned characters, slightly long and neat fonts, and often symmetrical structure, giving people a tall and straight feeling. The most important thing is to carry out a series of specifications.
Both Da Zhuan and Xiao Zhuan are one of the earliest calligraphy styles in the history of China. Compared with official script, regular script and cursive script, the writing style is relatively simple, and the lines are required to have a rounded three-dimensional sense.
When writing, the pen must be used by the center, and it is required to be against the front when starting and closing the pen, that is, hide the front when starting and return to the front when closing the pen.
Third, the historical significance is different.
China characters, from hieroglyphics in ancient times, developed to the stage of Xiao Zhuan, and gradually began to be stereotyped in outline, strokes and structure, and the pictographic meaning gradually weakened, making the characters more symbolic, standardized and standardized, and minimizing the confusion and difficulties in writing and reading.
The big seal script developed on the basis of ancient Chinese characters has more obvious pictographic features, round and vigorous style, rich and uneven font changes, and has not formed standardization, serialization and standardization.
Xiao Zhuan is the simplification of the form and the innovation of brushwork of Da Zhuan. It is the product of the first standardization of Chinese characters in China history and occupies a very important position in the development history of Chinese characters.
At the same time, it is also the first time in the history of China to standardize Chinese characters on a large scale by administrative means, which has ended the chaotic situation of complicated forms and diverse writing styles of Chinese characters since Oracle Bone Inscriptions for more than 1000 years, greatly changed the situation that ancient Chinese characters are varied, numerous and miscellaneous, and chaotic, and has a great position and influence in the history of the development of China characters.
Conclusion.
The writing changes from ancient Chinese prose to Da Zhuan, and from Da Zhuan to Xiao Zhuan, are of epoch-making significance in promoting the development of China's ancient history, economy, law, culture and science and technology.