Evolution of the inscriptions on the Bronze Mirror of Han Dynasty in the Furnace Smoke

The Chinese characters evolution fromseal script to clerical script in Han Dynasty underwent one a new process of development and stability from top-level design to folk application, where the most important relic, inscriptions of bronze mirror, together with the bamboo slips and stele inscriptions, constituted the basic calligraphy aestheticsat that time, forming historical legends in the smoke of casting. Among the mirrors of Han Dynasty, there are a lot of surviving inscription mirrors, the chirography on which has extremely rich subjective design, showing important aesthetic characteristics. Most of the previous writings have tended to study explanation and entry, and there are few studies based on the chirography. The classification and analysis of the considerable and complex inscriptions of bronze mirror based on archaeological typology indicate that at different stages and in different regions, the sources of popular materials are similar, with typical styles gradually appearing, different creative effects, as well as fresh and interesting cases. Comparing the inscription chirography with bamboo and wood slips and calligraphy on rubbings, it is possible to see the combination of “mirror caster” and “ Daobili (petty official drawing up indictments)”, new calligraphic patterns appear in the smoke of the fire. The calligraphy is applied to bronze mirrors, and is cut and transformed by the craftsmen to be suitable for deformation, so that the character shape is integrated with bronze and stone tablet casting, presenting a unique decorative taste and design meaning, carrying the open and inclusive spirit of Han Dynasty.

THE HAN RIVER AS THE CENTRAL AXIS AND THE PREDOMINANCE OF WATER: QUESTIONING THE CLAIM OF “NO CHU-RELATED TRAITS” IN THE VIEW OF TERRESTRIAL SPACE IN THE RONG CHENG SHI MANUSCRIPT (FOURTH CENTURY B.C.E)

The description of the “Nine Provinces” (Jiu zhou 九州) found in the Rong Cheng shi 容成氏 (Mister Rong Cheng?, late fourth century b.c.e.) manuscript from the Shanghai Museum Bamboo Slips Collection (Shangbo cangjian 上博藏簡) is the only manuscript version of it known to date. Its discovery immediately raised the question of its relation to the cluster of descriptions on the “Nine Provinces” transmitted from the late Warring States to the early Western Han periods. There is general consensus that the manuscript description of the “Nine Provinces” has close affinity with the transmitted descriptions, as well as with a wide spectrum of transmitted early Chinese texts in general. It is distinguished by the eclectic combining of known spatial concepts, rather than manifesting any radically new or specifically Chu traits. In this study I reassess this impression with respect to the reference to the Han River in the manuscript, which up to now has been noted only in passing as an unsolved puzzle. I argue that the Han River is referred to here as the central axis that divides terrestrial space into southern and northern halves, something that implies a shifting of the mapped area to the South and thus conveys a Chu view of space. Together with philological analysis of the descriptions of terrestrial space, I apply an innovative method of investigation of these descriptions through landmarks, using as a visual aid traditional Chinese historical maps. In addition, I explore the predominance of waters as the distinguishing feature of the representation of terrestrial space in the Rong Cheng shi manuscript and demonstrate its difference from the structuring of terrestrial space proceeding from mountains to waterways to be seen in the majority of transmitted early Chinese texts.

Some Minor Insights from Reading the Anhui University Warring States Bamboo Slips of the Classic of Poetry

This article discusses three topics. First, it discusses the line “I could not fill my slanting basket” 不盈頃筐 in the poem “Juan er” 卷耳. The Anhui University Bamboo Slip version’s qing 頃 (slanting) is written . This, as with the Chu Silk Manuscript character, should be explained as qi 攲 (lopsided). Second, regarding the line “Do you not understand me?” 不諒人只 in the poem “Bai zhou” 柏舟 of the Yong Airs 鄘風 section, the Anhui University Bamboo Slip version of liang 諒 (understanding) is written jing 京. This character should be understood as qiang 強 in the sense of “coerce/force” 強迫. In the line “Supporting King Wu” 涼彼武王 in the poem “Da ming” 大明 of the Major Elegantiae 大雅, liang 涼 is similarly explained as 強 in the sense of “coerce” 威強. These two characters have always been traditionally glossed as either “trust” 信 or “assist” 佐. Third, regarding the line “… it cannot be recited” 不可讀也 of the poem “Qiang you ci” 牆有茨, du 讀 (reciting) in the Han Poetry 韓詩 is glossed in the sense of “record and narrate” 記述, which is superior to the traditional gloss.

A First Reading of the Anhui University Bamboo-Slip Shi Jing

In September, 2019, Anhui University published the first volume of Warring States bamboo-slip manuscripts in its collection. The bamboo slips were purchased by the university in 2015 on the antique market. This volume contains ninety-three slips that correspond with all of or portions of fifty-seven poems in the Guo feng 國風 (Airs of the States) section of the Shi jing 詩經 (Classic of Poetry). The manuscript is written in the script of the ancient state of Chu 楚, and thus presumably was robbed from a tomb somewhere in the territory of that state. This preliminary study of the manuscript presents close readings of six representative poems, comparing the versions in the manuscript with those of the received text. It concludes with consideration of how to understand the textual variants apparent in the manuscript, and also the significance of the manuscript for the composition and especially the transmission of the Shi jing in the pre-Qin period.