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

CHINESE CALLIGRAPHY

in regard to their form and meaning, but many of the other words have circles and vertical lines which give a monotonous appearance to the writing. In Japanese most of the Chinese characters are employed without change in form or meaning, only they are pronounced differently ; but the fact that the forms of many of the subsidiary words are taken from Chinese Grass or Regular writing and mixed with the native style upsets the aesthetic balance of the whole. In the Hsi-Hsia example, not a single character is exactly the same as its Chinese counterpart, but their sounds and meanings are the same, and, taking the pieces of writing as wholes, the type of stroke and method of construction are similar. Hsi-Hsia, however, is poor aesthetically ; the strokes are mechanical and crowd the imaginary squares they fill. Hsi-Hsia writing is only employed in a small area, a part of the Kan-Su province of China, and it has no great importance. Koreans and Japanese are very fond of hanging calligraphy in their houses, but, significantly enough, not usually their own calligraphy but Chinese.

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