The Tradition of Imitative Copying in Chinese Calligraphy

Zhang, Jingye (2025) The Tradition of Imitative Copying in Chinese Calligraphy. Doctoral thesis, University of Wales Trinity Saint David.

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Abstract

In many cultures, calligraphy is regarded as a decorative art, but in China calligraphy is one of the highest forms of art, in many ways comparable to painting and classical music in the West. No matter the material representation of Chinese calligraphy—paper, silk, wood or bamboo slips, animal bones etc.—, its artistic object is the two-dimensional visual representation of the written characters of the Chinese language. Moreover, in the development of the Chinese scripts, calligraphy has been enriched with a wide range of technical and aesthetic features that are specific to its artistic nature and do not pertain to its linguistic nature. In order to fully appreciate the visual quality of Chinese calligraphy, the present thesis aims to explore the key aesthetic features of authoritative calligraphic models through the analysis of the copies that generations of practitioners have produced and still continue to produce. In particular, the essential qualities of being improvisational, rhythmical and written at one stretch without stopping the fluid movement of the brush until the last brushstroke is fulfilled can be acknowledged in clear terms by comparing originals with their copies. Chinese historical sources are clear in stating that the renowned calligraphers from all dynasties began their training in calligraphic art by studying and copying the calligraphic specimens of previous masters, either through originals or through ink rubbings of stone inscriptions. There are no examples of calligraphers who became proficient in this art without modeling their work, for a certain period of their lives at least, on the calligraphic works of others. The tradition of imitative copying in Chinese calligraphy has always existed together with the practice of creating calligraphic works. This thesis aims to present the educational background and different patterns of imitative copying as a way of learning and perfecting calligraphy. Furthermore, the present study provides macro-level analysis of the copying process by iconographic comparisons between one of the masterpieces of Chinese calligraphy, the famous stele inscription in the standard script Inscription of the Auspicious Spring of the Palace of Perfect Accomplishments (Jiuchenggong liquan ming 九成宮醴泉銘, hereafter Jiuchenggong), calligraphed in 632 by the literatus and calligrapher Ouyang Xun 歐陽詢(557–641), and a complete precise copy of it produced by the calligraphy teacher Yao Mengqi姚孟起(b. 1838–died before 1901) in 1883, more than one thousand years after the original work. This thesis aims to show that, provided basic knowledge of the brushwork and structural configurational principles that govern Chinese calligraphic creation, anyone is able to perceive the nuances and subtleties of classic calligraphic models. As a matter of fact, despite its undeniable specificity, Chinese calligraphy manifests the common physiological structure and the same rules of visual perception shared by all humans, the most evident of which are balance, rhythm, movement, etc.. The present research focuses on deepening our insight into both the educational background and the artistic value of Chinese calligraphy by investigating the tradition of imitative copying, leading to an original contribution to knowledge. In conclusion, the present thesis summarizes diverse and special phenomena in the imitative tradition of Chinese calligraphy and points out that the ultimate goal of imitative copying is to achieve a state of harmony without the constraints of rules. The exploration and practice in imitative copying of classic calligraphic models will accompany calligraphy practitioners throughout their lives.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Chinese calligraphy; Calligraphic models; Imitative copying (lin 臨)；Tracing copying (mo摹); Ouyang Xun; Yao Mengqi
Subjects:	Z Bibliography. Library Science. Information Resources > Z004 Books. Writing. Paleography
Divisions:	Theses and Dissertations > Doctoral Theses
Depositing User:	Victoria Hankinson
Date Deposited:	21 Aug 2025 15:44
Last Modified:	21 Aug 2025 15:44
URI:	https://repository.uwtsd.ac.uk/id/eprint/3888

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