From the entry of ancient texts into printing, to the entry of gold texts into printing, and then to the creation of quasi-ancient seals, it is a process of evolution of seal engraving art that conforms to the laws of historical development. The driving force of this evolution is mainly the aesthetic pursuit of Shanggu, which is based on the promotion and achievements of archaeological excavations and philological research in ancient seals, and finally implements the active selection of Indian scripts. The three types of seal engraving use pre-Qin characters, which is a process of returning to the printing script from the indian script.
(1) Ancient Chinese into Printing
Ancient Texts were incorporated into India, and according to current research, they began in the Tang Dynasty and flourished in the Song Dynasty. This is closely related to the academic development, the development of writing (writing), the development of character books, the development of seals, etc. at that time, which can be said to have come into being and followed the trend.
Wen Dapeng's "Research on the Entry of Ancient Texts into India in the Tang and Song Dynasties" first defines the "ancient texts" in the text as a category of "copying ancient texts", which actually represents his judgment on the ancient texts of the Tang and Song Dynasties that he studied. Next, the article analyzes the existence status and background of ancient texts in the Tang and Song dynasties, specifically involving the relationship between ancient texts and classics, calligraphy, examination system and ancient texts in the Tang and Song Dynasties, the relationship between Tang and Song classics and the application of ancient texts, and the relationship between epigraphy and ancient texts in the Song Dynasty. Regarding the formation conditions for the entry of ancient texts into printing during the Tang and Song dynasties, the article points out three points, namely: the diversity requirements of the literati seal art on the inscriptions; the collection of ancient seals and their influence on the printing of ancient texts; and the ancient script books that are the basis for the entry of ancient texts into printing.
If it is said that the entry of ancient texts into printing in the Tang and Song dynasties has both practical purposes and the aesthetic colors of literati and good ancients, then after being criticized and snubbed in the Yuan Dynasty, the ancient texts were included in printing in the Ming and Qing dynasties with an ups and downs process from revival to decline. Shang Leiming's "Treatise on the Transmission of Ancient Chinese Seals in the Ming and Qing Dynasties" directly refers to the inclusion of ancient texts in Printing as "the transmission of ancient seals". After introducing the two parts of the Ming Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty, the article focuses on the reasons for the decline of the ancient seals and the enlightenment of the copying of ancient texts into printing. From the standpoint of copying ancient texts into printing, the author attributes the decline of such seals to three aspects: "the constraints of 'Yinzong Qin and Han'", "the influence of Qing Dynasty epigraphy", and "the influence of mainstream social printing". In fact, the inclusion of ancient texts in the Tang and Song dynasties was the aesthetic pursuit of Shanggu, but the Indians at that time did not know or know the Seal of the Warring States, and mistakenly regarded the transmission of ancient texts as the authenticity of ancient texts, as an active exploration and used in India. In the Ming Dynasty literati seal carving, it was a conscious act of more style innovation awareness, but in the middle of the Qing Dynasty, the literati seal engravers had a good aesthetic experience and seal carving practice of the ancient fun and ancient rhyme of the seal, and knew that after copying the ancient text or making mistakes, they naturally lost their enthusiasm for it and turned to other ways.
(2) Jin Wen is in India
It is generally believed that the study of epigraphy flourished in the Northern Song Dynasty, and the entry of Jin wen into India was closely related to the study of epigraphy, and Mi Fu was the earliest printer, so it was said that Jin Wen was printed in the Song Dynasty. There was no obvious development in the Jin dynasty during the Yuan and Ming dynasties, but in the late Ming Dynasty there was a breakthrough understanding of the Jin wen and the ancient seal. In the Qing Dynasty, the study of gold and stone evidence and ancient characters became hot, the study of gold text was gradually revived, coupled with the great development of seal engraving art, the gold text was naturally introduced into the creation of indians, and many aspects of exploration were made in ideological understanding and creative practice.
This type of seal, the ancients' understanding and evaluation of it, mainly focused on the use of words. Wu Xiansheng believes in the "Dunhaotang On the Seal": "The ancient texts of Zhong Ding are all known to Zhou Qin, and the original seal is not applied, and later generations take it every time." Zhu Wen is also unavoidable in this work, but it must be decent and not mixed. Fox fur continues lambs, and the clothes are mended, then the laughter is generous, and the good is not shallow. He soberly realized that neither the golden nor the ancient script was printed, but was often "used" by later generations. He did not simply reject it, but put forward the demand for "decent" and "unmixable".
At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the people, the ancient seal has been more and more clearly known, and seal engravers have begun to imitate the creation of the ancient seal, but the golden text is still loved by most Indians, and various attempts and more in-depth research have not stopped. From the perspective of writing, compared with the ancient texts that are not printed and copied and have many errors, although the golden text is not printed, it is indeed mostly from ancient artifacts, the glyphs are true and reliable, and the study of the Zhong Ding inscription is becoming more and more in-depth, which is the fundamental reason for the long-term prosperity of the golden text into printing.
(3) Creation of quasi-ancient seals
The creation of quasi-ancient seals was directly used in the pre-Qin seal script to make seal inscriptions. Whether it is out of respect for tradition, obedience to the sages, or out of the desire to explore the beauty of the vast and mysterious ancient seal, once people come into contact with and know the ancient seal, they are more likely to use authentic raw materials to make the most beautiful works. This authentic raw material is the seal.
The creation of quasi-ancient seals can probably start from Zhu Jian's Zhu Wen Xiaoyin. Zhu Jian once pointed out: "The copper seals unearthed from the site are extremely small and the text is extremely round, and those who have knowledge and ignorance are also sealed above the Qin Dynasty; those who are slightly larger and the text is simple, and the Han and Jin seals are also." He pointed out that the characteristics of the pre-Qin seal were "extremely round and vigorous", and said: "The ancient indian text has no amorphous body, the text moves with the generations, and the characters are only used, so the printing characters are the customary books used with the times." Try to test it, Zhou Qin above the use of ancient Chinese, and Ding Yi style knowledge and so on... Solid is not a miao seal, nor is it a small seal, Ming Yi. It also pointed out the uncertainty that such printed characters can be used by people at any time and anywhere, and also pointed out its similarity with the golden text.
In 2001, Lin Jiandan published "Lin Jiandan Ancient Seal Character Printing Lian", and the title of the book framed the selection of text and other genera for all works. According to its "Afterword", the Ancient Seal Script Book Association, which was the long-cherished wish of its predecessor Fang Jiekan, made a small attempt in Shanghai in the 1930s, "and was invariably praised by the famous giants of the calligraphy and painting circles, believing that it had both the charm of the golden text and no small seal customs, and another path, high and elegant, fresh and lovely." It is a pity that there are not many ancient seal scripts that can be interpreted and read, and to be used in a different way, we should first know the seal law well, we must 'follow the old texts without wearing chisels', and the pens must have a history", Dai Xiaojing said in the preface: "In recent years, the number of unearthed written materials has increased rapidly, and the study of warring states characters has become one of the fastest growing sub-disciplines in the field of paleography. ”
We believe that the creation of quasi-ancient seals, at least at this stage, is a development and progress for the entry of ancient texts into printing and the entry of gold texts into printing, especially in terms of improving the academic value of seal engraving art. Its sudden rise after the 1980s is inseparable from the research progress of the ancient seal and the ancient seal script.
——This article is excerpted from the special topic of "Xiling Yicong" No. 69 of the "Xiling Art Cong", "A Hundred Years of Xiling Ancient Rhymes in the Central Plains", "Discussion on the Creation of Quasi-Ancient Seals", text/Mo Xiaobu
Edited by Sun Leyi