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The origin of Chinese characters dates back more than three thousand years to the Shang Dynasty (or Yin 殷, ). We know the writing of this period through divination inscriptions engraved on bones and turtle shells: this is 甲骨文 (). More than five thousand signs have been cataloged, but the meaning of many of them remains uncertain or completely unknown. However, they are the direct ancestors of today's Chinese characters. Discovered last century, they are not a style of traditional Chinese calligraphy, but some calligraphers also enjoy using them.
On the other hand, the writing found on the bronzes (金文, ) of the following dynasty, the Zhou, has never disappeared. Its calligraphy style is called "seal script" (篆书, ). We distinguish between the large seal script (大篆, ) and the small seal script (小篆, ). The large seal script groups together different writings (including some preserved 甲骨文 characters) used before the creation of the empire by the First Emperor in 221 BCE. From this date, the unification policy also extends to writing. Only one style of Chinese calligraphy is preserved, which will be called the small seal script.
After the creation of the empire, a new style of Chinese calligraphy appeared: the official or "clerical" script (隶书, ). Simpler than seal characters, it is written faster and is therefore highly appreciated for administration. The signs are very close to current sinograms, and all Chinese people are able to read them, which is not always the case for seal script and even less so for the Oracle Bone style.
Under the Han, in the third century of our era, a new, more elegant style of Chinese calligraphy appeared, called "regular" (楷书, ). Obeying very strict rules, it is characterized by a softer stroke and great stability. It is the "normal" style, the one that young Chinese learn to write.
Still under the Han, a slight deformation of the regular style gave birth to a new style of Chinese calligraphy: the "running" or "cursive" style (行书, ). As its name indicates, it is a cursive version of the regular style that allows for faster writing while remaining easily readable. It is a calligraphic style in its own right.
The "grass" style (草书, ) is highly branched. It is distinguished by a connected, very free writing (it often exceeds the imaginary square) and is difficult to read. The variations are very numerous.
These six styles are the references in Chinese calligraphy. But many artists have passed down their own style, reflecting their personality. The works of the ancient masters thus allow us to study an infinite range of variations.
