The Han Dynasty Brick Inscription Calligraphy Research

The Han dynasty is an important period in the history of Chinese calligraphy, which inherits from thepre-Qin ancient calligraphy and gives enlightenment to other calligraphy modes of Lishu, Kaishu andBafen. All kinds of calligraphy mode gestated, evolved, developed and took shape in that period. It is alsotrue that the Han dynasty is the divide of Chinese calligraphy. In the past, due to the limitation of unearthedmaterials, many problems about the “Lishu-transformation” cannot be solved, such as the differencebetween Lishu and Bafen and the emergence of Kaishu. In the20th century lots of Han bamboo slips areunearthed and provided us with the practical materials. It helps us know the way of Han calligraphy’sevolution and development, but the Han bamboo slips are not enough to compose the whole calligraphyhistory. In the recent years, a number of Han bricks are unearthed and become important practical materialsfor calligraphy. It also gives us a new viewpoint to research the Han calligraphy against the Han stone slips.Otherwise, the Han bamboo slips are unprecedented in the quantity and quality. It mainly reflects theinformation of low class and the real state of folk calligraphy. It just makes up to the shortage of stone slips’standard calligraphy. It is of great significance in our study of Han calligraphy.For the study of Han brick text, most of them just stressed on the text content, calligraphic style,unearthed time, excavated sites and other aspects. And the research of Chinese character’s“Lishu-transformation” is so little, which never works on the principle of the Han calligraphy’s evolutiongenerally. After reading many books and the autoptical research, the author made a comparison between theHan brick text and other texts in different periods and carriers of the Han dynasty. In the macro perspective,the author researches the Han dynasty wholly. Meanwhile, the author deeply researches the Han bricks textin the micro perspective. All the works present the value of the Han bricks text. At the same time, the papermakes clear the change from ancient calligraphy system to present calligraphy system in theLishu-transformation of the Han dynasty calligraphy.The paper consists of four parts: The first part is the outline of brick text, including brick text’sproduction, shape features, catalog and style. In this part, the author summed up the existing situation of theHan brick on the basis of other people’s research to present the whole outlook of the Han brick. The secondpart is the comparison between the Han brick text and other texts in different periods and carriers of the Han dynasty. The author compared the Han brick text with texts on the Han stele, the bamboo slips, the sealest. and tried to find out the different and common ground to see the true side of the Han calligraphy. Thethird part is the analysis on the evolution of the Han calligraphy from the angle of the Han brick text. Theevolution is the diverse mode which developed from Zhuanshu, Lishu, Zhangcao, Xingshu, Kaishu, Caoshuto the Han calligraphy. And it corrected the precious wrong opinion that it developed one stage by one stage.The fourth part is discussion on the influence on the following calligraphy. It is just from the influence onthe seal cutting and present calligraphy. The research can show the good experience to the contemporarycalligraphy to stabilize the position of the Han calligraphy in the history of Chinese calligraphy.The innovation of this paper is: from the unique perspective of the brick text and the comparison amongthe characters in the different periods and carriers, the author surveyed the precious achievement from allaspects and got own opinion. The most important discovery is the diverse developing mode of the Hancalligraphy on the research of the Han calligraphy’s evolution. And the reason for the developing mode isthe change of the relations between Zhengshu and Caoshu to correct the previous linear developing modeand give the rational solution to the problem of calligraphy’s evolution. Meanwhile, it presents the specialvalue of the brick text.