A Study on the Script of the Chu Silk Manuscript

• Main Authors: Li-hsun Cheng, 鄭禮勳
• Other Authors: none
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2007
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/85119325484954301140

碩士 === 國立中正大學 === 中國文學所 === 95 === The purpose of the thesis is to make a comprehensive analysis and close examination on the Chu Silk Manuscript, unearthed in 1942. The course of the study is traced up from the script of Spring and Autumn period, Warring States period, Western Zhou dynasty, the oracle bone script of Shang dynasty, down to xiaozhuan ‘the small seal’ and the Han lishu ‘clerical script.’ The author addresses the paper from the viewpoints of both wenzixue as a foundation and the art of calligraphy. A rough summary of the past 65 year’s research achievement is made on the Chu Silk Manuscript. The author discusses the art of the script layout and arrangement for the Pre-Qin dyansty, contributing to valuable source material for the calligraphy amateur. The thesis divides into the main text and the appendix. The main text falls into six chapters. The first chapter introduces the research motive, purpose, methodology, steps and literature review. It also introduces the present study of the Chu Silk Manuscript, important work and the author’s research space. The second chapter entitled “The Outlines of the Chu Silk Manuscript” describes the unearthed process of this Manuscript and its outflowing to foreign country. Its structure is discussed by examining the script position arrangement, reading order, writing layout, simu ‘four trees,’ shier shenxiang ‘twelve idols,’ construction, and the distinctive mark. A bird’s eye view is also made on the content of this Manuscript in the order of sishi ‘Four Seasons,’ tianxiang ‘Celestial Phenomenon,’ and yiji ‘Suitability or Taboo.’ Entitled “The Nationality and the Age of the Chu Silk Manuscript,” the third chapter draws inferences on the age of the Chu Silk Manuscript according to its writing, content, taozhi jinban ‘ceramic funerary objects,’ funerary objects and the Changsha feudalism. The author uses the available evidences to strengthen the fact that the Chu Silk Manuscript belongs to the Chu State, providing the discussing foundation for the following two chapters. The fourth chapter is entitled “ The Evolution of the Chu Silk Manuscript Text Script.” The analysis data is mainly on the script of this Manuscript and the Chu series script as an auxiliary. This chapter illustrates the phenomena of the simplification, elaboration, diversification and the error change on the script. The fifth chapter is “The Characteristics of the Chu Silk Manuscript Text Script.” The script style is characterized through the study of the brush methods, the art of script layout and overall arrangement, and writing style. In addition, the author evaluates how the Chu Silk Manuscript influences the basic strokes in Chinese writing system. The conclusion chapter shows the script research value, summarizes the results of this study and proposes the future outlook for the study of guwenzi ‘the ancient script.’ The appendix contains the following four parts: “The Pictures and the Copied Versions of the Chu Silk Manuscript,” “The Xingkuan Biao of the Chu Silk Manuscript:A Reproduction Version in Row and Column Chart,” “A Modern Character Transcription of the Chu Silk Manuscript Text” and “The Chu Silk Manuscript Text’s Form Table.” These four parts as the appendix are the analysis material for the thesis. They are also references for the study of the Chinese ancient script.