Calligraphy
| Crafts
| Painting
| Pottery
|
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| The
underside of a waterdish used for Chinese calligraphy. |
Chinese
Calligraphy
Calligraphy
is the art of writing; Chinese calligraphy is the art of
writing Chinese characters. Chinese is Chinese calligraphy
is more than just writing Chinese characters. It is an art.
Like art, there are different styles and periods. In ancient
times, royalty, monks and other highly educated people learned
calligraphy as part of their higher education. Today, calligraphy
can be, and is, learned by anyone, including a growing number
of interested Westerners.
History
of Chinese Calligraphy
Origins
Chinese calligraphy came from the invention of the Chinese
language itself. Around 4,000 BC, the Chinese documented
their daily lives by making marks, which were then fired
and made into pottery. These markings are called pictograms.
As people drew these pictures over and over, faster and
more standardized ways to communicate evolved, bringing
us modern-day Chinese characters. As people learned to write,
they realized that writing characters in different styles,
with different flourishes and different methods (brushes,
metal tools, etc.) produced not only a communication tool,
but an eye-pleasing work of art.
Through
the ages
Calligraphy
became a great status symbol of the intellectual and elite.
One could not pass a civil service exam for government service
if one could not proficiently compose Chinese calligraphy.
Over the centuries, artists, poets, intellectuals and leaders
dabbled in calligraphy. Even Mao Zedong, the founder of
modern China under communist rule, was a calligrapher.
How
is Chinese calligraphy different to Western calligraphy?
In both styles, the artist writes ornately with a brush.
However, in Chinese calligraphy, the artist is encouraged
to allow emotion to affect the movement of the brush. Western
calligraphers tend to use mostly pens, while Chinese calligraphers
tend to use mostly brushes and ink stones. Additionally,
the attitudes toward calligraphy were (are) different. While
valuable, Western calligraphy is not held in as high esteem
as Western paintings, pottery and other art. In contrast,
Chinese calligraphy is held in as high esteem, if not higher,
than Chinese paintings.
Materials
used
The brushes
used for Chinese calligraphy are similar to brushes used
for painting. They have fine tips to allow the artist flexibility
in styles and creativity. Brushes are made out of rabbit
hair or hair from the sheep of Hunan province. Ink can be
different consistencies and is often used by itself to show
depth and emotion by using heavier or lighter strokes, thicker
or thinner ink, and other methods. Calligraphy paper, or
rice paper, can be quite expensive, and can effect the outcome
of the work by being more or less absorbent of ink.
Because
one can express themselves so freely in Chinese calligraphy,
it can be a window into the artist's personality. It is
one of the more open conduits into the mind, because so
much of the mind is used in creating calligraphy. As a matter
of fact, ancient calligraphers were known for their longevity
and mental agility.
