Flowing with Grace: The Story of Seal-Script Calligraphy

Calligraphy is a unique form of art in the cultural history of the world. Not only used as writing for communication in daily life, calligraphy in China has also long since developed into a comprehensive and independent system of theory and practice. The course of evolution in Chinese calligraphy and its aesthetic criteria has been a subject of attention for centuries. This exhibition presents a special selection of seal script to introduce one particular style in this art form, its changes that have taken place over time, and the different perspectives for its appreciation.

However, clerical script, which had developed and matured between the Qin and Han dynasties, would become the written language of common use. This led to the gradual decline of seal script as the mainstream form of writing, though it was still used for special decorative purposes.

Later, starting in the Northern and Southern Dynasties period, running and regular scripts would become the main forms of written communication. And not until much later, in the Qing dynasty, when ancient writing increasingly came to light from excavations, and combined with the influence of pragmatic trends in learning, did calligraphers begin re-investigating the brush methods of seal script in earnest, leading to new developments in this form of Chinese calligraphy.

Even though seal script long ago departed from everyday use in China, it still survives and flourishes today on the basis of its exceptional artistic qualities.

A calligraphy theorist of the Tang dynasty, Sun Guoting (ca. 647-ca. 690), once wrote, "Seal script upholds curving and flowing," identifying two of the obvious and important defining criteria for appreciating it.

For seal script to attain a realm of curvilinear beauty and graceful flowing, strokes not only need to have fluidity and body, methods of spatial arrangement must also be accommodated, and only then will the unique aesthetic qualities of seal script be manifest. The following is a special selection of seal script from the National Palace Museum collections.

Ding Cauldron of Duke Mao (Mao Gong Ding)

Also known as the Duke of Mao tripod, this bronze cauldron was cast by Duke Yin of Mao in the Zhou dynasty and unearthed in the late Qing dynasty during the Daoguang reign (1820-1850) at Qishan (modern Qishan County) in Shaanxi. The inscription of 499 characters on the bronze records the Duke of Mao's important contributions to state governance at the time.

“Thousand Character Essay” in Seal and Clerical Script

Yu He (style name Zizhong, sobriquet Zizhisheng), a native of Hangzhou in Zhejiang, was a scholar of tranquil character who did not seek fame or fortune. Gifted at poetry, he was also skilled in calligraphy, studying extensively from Jin and Tang dynasty masters to achieve considerable depth and success. In his early years, he was even personally instructed by the master Zhao Mengfu (1254-1322), leading to their calligraphy being quite similar.

This album features alternating rows of the same characters from the “Thousand-Character Classic” in seal and clerical script. Not only does this make it easier to read, it demonstrates the beauty of both calligraphic forms side by side. The characters in seal script are elongated and solid, the lines thin yet upright. On the other hand, the clerical script characters are angular and open, the brushwork careful and regulated for an elegant style.