A Study Of Cursive Script In Engraving In Ming Dynasty

The Ming Dynasty was the flourishing period of printed cursive script.Cursive script was used in the preface and postscript,main text,card record,and heart of the book,with the preface and postscript being the most.The widespread and popularization of cursive calligraphy for printing is a manifestation of the prosperity of calligraphy and publishing in the Ming Dynasty.The style evolution of cursive script engraved in Ming Dynasty and the style evolution of regular script engraved in Ming Dynasty are roughly in sync.It can be roughly divided into three phases: the first stage,the middle stage and the latter stage: from Hongwu to Chenghua as the early stage,the cursive script in Hongwu period was a legacy of the end of the Yuan Dynasty,and the retro style was parallel to the hermit calligraphy;from the Yongle to Chenghua period,the "Taige style" was popular in Xingkai.The preface and postscript of the official carved edition are gorgeous and elegant.During the period from Hongzhi to Longqing,the clan system of the engraved running script was in Jin and Tang Dynasties,and was thin and vigorous;the cursive engraved script had a new look,represented by Zhu Yunming.During the period from Wanli to Chongzhen,cursive printing and cursive script prospered and developed,with diverse methods and styles.Calligrapher and engraver are the two major elements that form engraved calligraphy.The calligraphers of the Ming Dynasty version of cursive script were mainly professional calligraphers and ordinary literati,followed by famous writers and officials.Officials’ cursive prefaces and postscripts pay attention to the format and standardization,and the style is unified;the universalization of famous cursive prefaces and postscripts is a reflection of the integration of scholars and merchants;the cursive scripts of professional calligraphers and ordinary literati are an important supplement to the study of calligraphy history in the Ming Dynasty.The signature method of Ming Dynasty edition cursive script engravers is simple and fixed.The fonts are mainly regular script,and cursive signatures are common in the late Ming Dynasty.The overall engraving level of the engraving work is different in the era.The engraving in the early Ming Dynasty is mature and stable;the engraving level in the mid-Ming Dynasty is lagging,and the square is rigid;the engraving at the end of the Ming Dynasty is superb and skillful,and the radius is integrated.The copybooks in engraved books are calligraphy education resources that have been neglected.According to Zhou Hongzu’s "Ancient and Modern Book Inscriptions",in the early Ming Dynasty,the official version of the engraving was published,mainly for various families and various styles.In the late Ming Dynasty,the number of cursive copybooks published by private individuals and bookstores increased,represented by cursive dictionaries and calligraphy and calligraphy.Famous calligraphy posts are the calligraphy learning resources of the elite class,and the engraved calligraphy posts are the main resources for the calligraphy learning of the civilian class.Not only that,cursive copybooks with engraved and cursive scripts are items for people to entertain and enjoy,and they have an aesthetic education effect.