Chinese calligraphy : an introduction to its aesthetic and technique : with 6 plates and 155 text illustratons

I

INTRODUCTION

ALLIGRAPHY as a general term simply means groups of words, in any language, conveying human thought

and written by hand. It is very rarely considered, as in China, to be an art; indeed, I do not know of any other country where it is still practised and generally recognized as such. That, perhaps, is why the word ‘calligraphy’ is now seldom used to describe any but Chinese handwriting.

The history of Chinese calligraphy is believed to be as long as that of China herself. But its nature has always been a source of mystery and perplexity to Westerners, many of whom have understood well enough painting and other forms of Chinese art. Yet calligraphy, it can be affirmed, besides being itself one of the highest forms of Chinese art, is in a sense the chief and most fundamental element in every branch of it. Unfortunately, however, except for those brought up in the artistic traditions of the country, its aesthetic significance seems to be very difficult to grasp.

In studying the calligraphy of China one must learn something of the origins of her language, of the sources which gave rise to the characters, and of how they were originally written. For in their written form Chinese characters not only serve the purpose of conveying thought but also express in a peculiar visual way the beauty of the thought.

I [1]