A Visual History of Chinese Calligraphy

Author: Yin Sun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-10-01
Features: Chinese characters are the artistic prototypes of calligraphy. Without them, calligraphy cannot exist, and without calligraphy, the Chinese calligraphy art would vanish. Therefore, when selecting calligraphy works for this book, the author follows the evolution and developmental characteristics of Chinese character forms. This illustrated catalog not only includes various literati calligraphy works that have held significant positions in calligraphy art since the existence of Chinese characters but also places great emphasis on folk calligraphy works. This book is a companion piece to the author's "History of Chinese Calligraphy." It features nearly a thousand illustrations of Chinese character development from the graphic symbols of the primitive society to the various stages of character evolution, providing a complete and detailed reflection of the entire process of the birth, development, and transformation of Chinese calligraphy art to its present state. The chapters are organized in chronological order: Neolithic Age, Xia, Shang, Western Zhou, Eastern Zhou, Qin, Western Han, Xin, Eastern Han, Three Kingdoms, Western Jin, Eastern Jin, Sixteen Kingdoms, Southern Dynasties, Northern Dynasties, Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, Northern Song, Southern Song, Liao, Western Xia, Yuan, Ming, and Qing. It is particularly noteworthy that this book provides space for showcasing and studying the "new dynasties," which have long been overlooked by traditional calligraphers, and gives rare high importance to folk calligraphy. The book includes calligraphy illustrations from the periods of Xia, Shang, Western Zhou, Eastern Zhou, Qin, Western Han, Eastern Han, Western Jin, Eastern Jin, Sixteen Kingdoms, Southern and Northern Dynasties, Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, Northern Song, Southern Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing.