HOW TO WRITE

In passing, I mentioned to a friend the other day that I too occasionally practise Caligraphy. Which elicited a lot of talk about pens, nibs, ink, stainless steel, paper, and engraving. As well as draughting tools.
It was fascinating, and I listened with rapt attention.

Never clarified that I meant brush and water ink.
Or often steel blades and stone.

篆書

I'm fairly familiar with Chinese seal script, and have carved seals (personal 'chops') for use as signatures for several people.


Brush and water ink, example:

The character shown above is the seal script version of 'hua' (華).
On the mainland it has been simplified (华).
Which I find inelegant.


Chinese seal script was in use until the writing brush was invented. Until that time a kind of felt tip pen was the equipment for putting texts down, which allowed serious curves and wiggles, but the brush is better at angles, and the script forms underwent adaptation. The seal script forms are mostly known by calligraphers and scholars. And hobbyists.

In many languages I am mostly illiterate.



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