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

CHINESE CALLIGRAPHY

usually to be found, and quite often there is calligraphy alone. The position is always carefully chosen to exhibit the beauties of the writing to the best advantage. In the young ladies’ apartments four small paintings are generally hung on the central wall, and a couple of Tz#-T zz on the side walls. Here too, occasionally, calligraphy only is hung, but then the style of writing is somewhat more graceful and soft—less virile—than that in the central hall.

Wandering through the garden of a typical Chinese home one finds pavilions, bowers, terraces, bridges and many kinds of artificial erections, all placed at carefully selected points of vantage, chosen to please the eye and to add an imaginative variety to the scene. Scholars habitually attach poetic names to these small ornamental buildings, such as ‘ Pavilion of Searching-for-the-Spring ’, ‘ Bower of Listening-to-the-Orioles ’, * Terrace of Gathering-Stars ’, ‘ Bridge of Clasping-the-Moon ’. These names are engraved upon the buildings in various styles by eminent calligraphers, and they serve not only as decoration but to give an added significance to the locality.

At the approach of the New Year every household prepares to paste upon its door the so-called Spring Couplet (Ch‘unLien : # Mi). This is usually two lines of poetry written on red paper. It is supposed to bring good luck in the coming year. For wedding or birthday presents, as well as when conveying condolence on the death of a relative, we Chinese send, not flowers, but a piece of written poetry, an essay or distich. We consider this the best way to show joy or grief.

If you travel about in China you will notice that most of the impressive spots in rugged mountain districts are decorated with engravings of two or four characters, their huge proportions

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