Chinese Calligraphy Styles

In Chinese calligraphy, there are five major styles for writing Chinese characters. These styles are closely connected to the history of Chinese writing. In decorative ornamentation like book covers, movie posters, and wall hangings, you’ll often see characters written in ancient variations or simplified forms that are different from the modern standards used in Chinese. Sometimes, modern simplified characters similar to Chinese Simplified characters are used, especially since some simplified forms originally came from cursive script shapes.

In this article, we will take a look at the history of Chinese Calligraphy Styles and also learn in detail about the 5 main Styles of Chinese Calligraphy.

Let’s get started!

Chinese Calligraphy Styles: History

Here’s a brief overview of different Chinese Calligraphy Styles along with the period in which they first emerged:

Name	First appearance
Oracle bone script	c. 1200 BC
Large seal script	c. 1000 BC
Small seal script	c. 500 BC
Clerical script	c. 200 BC
Semi-cursive	c. 200 BC
Cursive	c. 50 BC
Regular script	c. 150 AD

Chinese Calligraphy Styles: Art of the Line

• Calligraphy is considered the oldest form of abstract art, focusing on the artistry of lines. Nowhere is the power of lines more evident than in Chinese calligraphy, a tradition spanning over 3,000 years. The aesthetics of calligraphy hold significant importance in East Asian art history, especially in eras when classical Chinese was widely spoken.
• You don’t need to understand Chinese characters to appreciate the beauty of calligraphy. The characters are ideographic, representing ideas rather than sounds. Calligraphers use a flexible brush dipped in ink made from grinding ink sticks with water, writing on paper or silk with varying absorbency. These tools are known as the “Four Treasures of the Study.”
• A skilled calligrapher can create a wide range of artistic effects, expressing their personality and the moment’s atmosphere. The brush’s responsiveness allows for subtle changes in pressure, direction, and speed, capturing the energy of the artist’s movements. This results in vivid and immediate brushstrokes that convey the calligrapher’s inspiration.

Chinese Calligraphy Styles: Vocabulary of Calligraphy

• In China today, there are five main script types used: seal script, clerical script, cursive script, running script, and standard script. Each type has its own unique visual characteristics and is suited for different kinds of text and purposes. Recognizing these script types is the first step in understanding Chinese calligraphy and its intricate visual language.
• The choice of script type by a calligrapher reflects both the occasion and their mood. Understanding the differences between these types allows us to interpret the calligrapher’s mindset during the creative process. Historically, calligraphies were categorized by script type rather than by the text’s content, emphasizing the importance of visual form in critical discussions about this art.
• In some cases, a single work of art may feature more than one script type, typically seen in colophons (on handscrolls) or inscriptions (on hanging scrolls). Calligraphers often used a specific script type when adding their comments to the original work.

The Crown Jewel of Chinese Calligraphy: Wang Xizhi’s 王羲之 Ritual

1. Wang Xizhi (303–361) is highly esteemed as the greatest calligrapher in East Asian history, with his works revered since his lifetime. One of his celebrated pieces, “The Ritual to Pray for Good Harvest,” is a 7th-century traced copy of a 4th-century letter. The central lines, done in cursive script, are renowned for their rhythmic, fluid, and dynamic qualities.
2. The surrounding inscriptions in running script were added by the Qianlong Emperor (1711–1799), a Manchu ruler of China, who considered Wang Xizhi’s calligraphy as one of the best in his extensive collection. By endorsing Wang’s work, the Qianlong Emperor, a non-Han ethnic, asserted his legitimacy as a ruler of China.
3. Chinese tradition holds that a person’s calligraphy reflects their moral character and temperament. Wang Xizhi’s reputation as an upright scholar and virtuous statesman contributes to the enduring admiration for his works. Chinese and Japanese emperors have promoted his style, elevating it as a model for later calligraphers to aspire to.
4. During a hike in China, the author encountered calligraphy incised on a stone slab. Though unsigned, the distinct cursive script immediately identifies it as the work of Chairman Mao, thanks to the widespread reproduction of his calligraphy in textbooks and public monuments throughout China. Mao’s bold style contrasts sharply with Wang Xizhi’s elegance, reflecting perhaps his larger-than-life persona and visionary ideals for China in the mid-20th century.
5. The expressive power of calligraphy continues to hold a special place in East Asian visual culture, bridging the ancient and modern worlds.

Chinese Calligraphy Styles: The 5 Main Styles of Chinese Calligraphy

Seal Script 篆書 zhuàn shū

Tips for Learners

Since all the strokes look the same, beginners don’t get to learn different ways to control the brush. It might be where you start learning calligraphy, but it’s not the best option for beginners to learn different skills.

History

Seal Script came about during the Qin Dynasty (221 BC–206 BC) and is thought to be the earliest script. It developed from the oracle bone script and mainly used pictograms and ideographs. People would carve Seal Script onto surfaces like jades, oracle bones, and ritual bronze vessels. Nowadays, this style is mostly seen in seals, also known as name chops.

Characteristics

1. This type of writing has two main forms: Dà Zhuàn 大篆 (Great Seal) and Xiǎo Zhuàn 小篆 (Small Seal). Dà Zhuàn is based on ancient characters from Oracle Script, while Xiǎo Zhuàn simplifies characters by removing pictographic elements. Xiǎo Zhuàn became the official writing style after the language was unified during the Qín dynasty.
2. Later, this script became an art form and is now considered one of the main styles of calligraphy. It’s practiced with a brush and features solid, taller-than-wide characters without much emotion. Symmetry is key, both in the strokes and their arrangement, as well as in the spacing between them. Keeping the brush centered is important for symmetrical lines. Writing a character in this style takes about one to two minutes.
3. It’s also used for signing writings and paintings, often with stone stamps pressed onto paper using red ink.

Clerical Script 隸書 lì shū

Tips for Learners

It’s possible for beginners to pick this script for calligraphy, but it’s not the best idea. The strokes are all the same, so it doesn’t help much in learning different techniques. Clerical Script might be easy to learn, but it doesn’t set a strong base for future learning.

History

Clerical Script emerged during the later Han Dynasty (2nd century A.D.) and was commonly used by government clerks. During this time, flexible hair brushes became popular, allowing for effects that couldn’t be achieved with the incised characters of Seal Script.

Characterstics

1. During this period, calligraphy began to be seen as an art rather than just a way to communicate. The new brushes made from animal hair allowed for more flexibility, letting artists adjust the width of their strokes as they pleased. Techniques like tí 提 (lifting) and àn 按 (pressing) were developed to change the thickness of lines.
2. This style of writing follows strict rules. One of its most distinctive features is the “silkworm head and wild goose tail” stroke, where a horizontal line starts with a rounded shape on the left and ends with an upward tip on the right. However, typically only one horizontal line in each word has this form, following the saying “two goose tails do not fly together”. Another characteristic is that all characters are aligned along the top line.
3. The Chinese name for this style, lì shū, which means “servant script,” is because it’s believed to have been invented by a prison officer.

Cursive or Running Script 草書 cǎo shū

Tips for Learners

To understand this script well, you need to be good at Regular Script and Running Script first. It’s not a good idea to begin learning calligraphy directly from Cursive Script.

History

Running Script, also known as “cursive script,” originated during the Han Dynasty. It offers more freedom to calligraphers because strokes and sometimes even characters can blend together. This is possible because calligraphers use a brush to write on paper instead of carving characters into hard surfaces like stone or bone. Nowadays, Running Script is the most commonly used script in everyday writing.

Characterstics

1. The main feature of this style is how it combines different strokes, usually done separately in other styles, into one continuous brush movement. The characters have a rounded, angle-free shape, resembling grass swaying in the wind, hence its name “Grass Script” in China.
2. In addition to merging strokes, characters are connected without lifting the brush from the paper. Writing in this style is fast, but it can be difficult for those unfamiliar with it to read. It allows more freedom in writing and expressing emotions, as characters, proportions, and line thickness can be altered, though there are still rules to follow.

Semi-Cursive Script 行書 xíng shū

Tips for Learners

Before learning this script, it’s important to be skilled in Regular Script. This script serves as a good foundation for later learning Semi-Cursive Script.

History

Semi-Cursive Script developed during the Han Dynasty as a natural progression, embracing the artistic possibilities of brush and ink. Being fully cursive, the characters in Cursive Script undergo significant simplifications, requiring specialized knowledge to be understood.

Characterstics

1. This style of calligraphy reached its peak before Cursive Script did. It’s smoother and faster than Standard Script but not as fast as Cursive.
2. Semi-Cursive Script became the most popular form of handwriting and is still widely used today.

Standard Script 楷書 kǎi shū

Tips for Learners

Standard Script is often the starting point in calligraphy because it helps learners understand correct placement and balance, providing a strong foundation for other more fluid styles. By mastering this script, learners develop the skills needed to control the brush effectively.

History

Standard Script, also referred to as “standard script,” developed by infusing the individual brushstrokes of Clerical Script with the fluid and asymmetrical features of Cursive Script. It’s the most easily recognized and widely used style. Regular Script is typically used in textbooks.

Characterstics

1. Standard Script evolved alongside the last two styles described by combining the separate strokes of Clerical Script with the more fluid and asymmetrical strokes of Cursive Script. It contains the largest number of strokes, which are executed separately, slowly, and carefully, following strict rules regarding their width and proportions. It’s typically the first style taught to children and serves as the foundation for almost all modern printed materials because it’s the clearest and easiest to read.
2. Although these calligraphy styles had already fully developed in the Tang dynasty, calligraphy as an art has continued to evolve over the centuries to the present day.

FAQs on Chinese Calligraphy Styles

What are the 5 major styles of Chinese calligraphy?

There are five major script types used today in China. They are as follows: seal script, clerical script, cursive script, running script, and standard script.

What is Chinese calligraphy regular style?

Regular, or “standard,” script “kǎishū” 楷书/楷書/kǎishū, came into use toward the end of the Han and the maturing of the Tang Dynasty. It got its name because each stroke is distinctive. Because of its easy-to-recognize characteristics, beginners study regular script first.

What are the 4 elements of Chinese calligraphy?

The ink brush, ink, paper, and inkstone are essential implements of Chinese calligraphy. They are known together as the Four Treasures of the Study. In addition to these four tools, a water-dropper, desk pads and paperweights are also used by calligraphers.

What is Chinese calligraphy called?

Chinese calligraphy is also called Calligraphy Scripts. There were five main scripts in ancient Chinese calligraphy.

What is the oldest Chinese calligraphy?

The earliest surviving Chinese script dates back over 3,000 years, in inscriptions made for the rulers of the Shang dynasty (circa 1600-1100 BC). Since the fourth century, calligraphy has been practiced, prized and collected as an elite visual art.