A Study Of Xu Xuan’s Seal Script

Based on the development of seal script in the early Song Dynasty,this paper explores the status of Xu Xuan’ seal script and its influence on seal script in the early Song Dynasty by conducting a research on Xu Xuan’s seal script art.The first part expounds the concrete development of seal script in the early Song Dynasty.The seal script in the early Song Dynasty has been constantly functionalized.It is mainly used to write inscriptions,which has a decorative function.The political system of "Yan Wu Xiu Wen",the emperor’s advocacy of calligraphy,the rise of characters and images on ancient bronzes and stone tablets,and the study of seal script inscriptions all provided opportunities for the development of seal script in the early Song Dynasty.Philology flourished in the early Song Dynasty,scholars sorted out and revised ancient Chinese characters,which corrected the mistakes of copying ancient Chinese characters to a certain extent,so as to promoted the development of seal script.The second part combs Xu Xuan’s life experience and associations with friends.Xu Xuan is not only proficient in seal script,philology,poetry and essays,but also has a great personality cultivation.He served as an official in the State of Wu,the Southern Tang and the Northern Song.Besides,this article has a more comprehensive understanding of Xu Xuan through the old officials of the State of Wu,Southern Tang Dynasty,the scholar-officials in the early Song Dynasty,the monks and Taoists with whom he interacted.The third part is the analysis of Xu Xuan’s seal script art.From the specific seal script works,his seal script inherited Li Yangbing in the early stage and traced back to Lisi in the later stage.In his later years,he created the "Wai Bian" method.Although there is no such type of work handed down,it can be seen that he has made bold innovations in seal script art.The fourth part elaborates Xu Xuan’s republished "Shuowen Jiezi" inheriting and developing Lisi’s seal method,which was regarded as a standard by seal calligraphers in Song Dynasty and after Song Dynasty.The last part is about the status and influence of Xu Xuan’s seal script.By correct the source of character and reviv the method of Zhuanzhuo,Xu Xuan brought great impact on a large number of seal calligraphers in the early Song Dynasty,such as Xu Kai,Zheng Wenbao,Zhang Youzhi,etc.