The art of seals originated in the Shang and Zhou dynasties and has a history of more than 2,000 years. It was originally a token for the purpose of sealing. After the Song and Yuan dynasties, due to the emphasis on calligraphy and painting inscriptions and signatures, the seal and calligraphy began to be skillfully combined, and the artistic expression was also formed. In a calligraphy work, the contrast between the book and the seal not only adds a lot of color to it, but also signs and seals it to show solemnity, which is also an important symbol of authenticity of calligraphy and painting. Nowadays, most seals are used as an embellishment for calligraphy and painting works, which not only makes the work more active, but also adjusts the layout and plays a role in stabilizing and balancing. Moreover, the use of idle chapters also shows the writer's ambition and personal taste. Therefore, calligraphers attach great importance to the use of seals, and even carve seals themselves, so that the combination of seals and books in the whole work reflects a style, a taste, and adds to the taste of gold and stone.
(1) Name seal
The name seal is the signature seal of the title, also known as the name seal. The so-called "name" refers to the name and character of the writer, such as Qi Baishi, surname Qi, name Huang, and the word Pingsheng. The so-called "number", that is, the writer of the name, the word other than the title, such as Mi Fu has Xiangyang Manshi, Haiyue Waishi, Lumen Jushi and other nicknames. Names are joined together and separated. The title is used for the seal, and one character is correct, and one surname can also be used. The paragraph has a surname, and the name seal can be used;If the money does not have a surname, or does not sign the money, the name stamp should be used to facilitate the identification of the author. A work can be printed without money but not less, and without a print, it cannot be called a complete work.
Moreover, the name seal has the attention of yin and yang, yin, yin, white text, the font of the seal is recessed, and the seal is white. Yang, Yangwen, Zhu Wenyin, the font of the seal is protruding, and the font printed out is a red line. When used, if the name seal is Zhu Wen (Yang Wen), the number seal should be Bai Wen (Yin Wen);If the name seal is yin, the number seal should be yang;Zhu Wen is light in red and is used on the top;The white text is heavy and red, and it is placed below. When a calligraphy work is stamped with the names of the two parties, it is best to have one Zhu and one white, and the two chapters are of appropriate size and used together, which is called "pair of chapters", which looks more interesting.
Mr. Qi Gong (Zi Yuan Bai) calligraphy works, you can see the old man's name and character seal. In addition, on the engraving of the name seal, the ancient and modern names are printed with the following: one is to add "seal", "seal", "seal" and "seal" after the name, or add "seal" and "seal" and so on. The second is to add "seal", "seal", "private seal" after the name, or add "seal" and "seal". The third is to add "clan" after the surname, and there are also place names added before the surname, such as "Jinling a certain clan" and "Yanjing a certain clan".
The size of the seal is approximately equal to the inscription, or slightly smaller than the inscription. The distance between the two stamps is about equal to the position of one or two stamps, and the order is the name seal first, then the word and number stamp. Or if there is a lot of space under the signature, it can be covered below, and if there is less space under the signature, it can also be covered on the left and right of the word.
Pu Xinshe's snow landscape paintings (detail) name badges are generally square. Zhang Daqian, a modern calligrapher and painter, believes that the shape of the name badge is "the best square shape, and the round shape is OK, if the waist is round and the natural shape is not available." ”
(2) Idle chapters
Generally speaking, except for the name badge, the others are idle stamps. Moreover, the idle chapter is also more common in ancient and modern calligraphy works, which evolved from the seal engraved with auspicious characters in the Qin and Han dynasties, and its purpose can increase the interest of calligraphy works and highlight the temperament of the literati.
Xianzhang has been popular since the Song Dynasty. After the Ming and Qing dynasties, there were many famous artists, and there were various genres, and the development today is rich in content, lively and interesting in form. Its size is limited, so the content can not be described in detail, can only be novel, concise, can be straightforward lyrical, can also be implicit refraction, can be a famous saying, can also be an idiom, or poetry, auspicious language, patterns, characters, various images, etc., during which there is elegance or slang, you can entertain yourself;The form can be square and round, and the length is arbitrary.
A work is inseparable from the fun conveyed by the idle chapter. For example, Qi Baishi has an idle medal as "Lu Banmenxia" to show his carpenter background;Like Fu Baoshi's "often drunk" leisure chapter, to illustrate his state of painting, that is, before painting, he must drink, so that he enters a free and easy state, "often drunk" is also a very favorite leisure chapter;Calligrapher and painter Liu Haisu used the phrase "stirring up the wind and making waves" when depicting the clouds and wavesThe famous calligrapher Yu Youren also often uses the "Guanzhong Yushi" idle chapter in his calligraphy works, indicating that he is a native of Guanzhong, Shaanxi;The famous painter Guan Shanyue's chapter "Learn from the old and know the insufficiency" is also his motto;Wait a minute.
Historically, the favorite to stamp the idle seal is, of course, the Qianlong Emperor, for example, he stamped dozens of idle stamps on the collection of the great calligrapher Wang Xizhi of the Jin Dynasty Wang Xizhi's "Fast Snow Time Clear Post", and "Fast Snow Time Clear Post", which is only 28 words. Compared with other owners who have collected "Fast Snow Sunny Post", such as Song Huizong, Mi Fu, Zhao Meng, etc., everyone is more disciplined after getting the baby, generally one person stamps a seal on it, but since the baby arrived in Qianlong, it was covered full, on the surface it is to reflect its elegant taste, but in fact Qianlong himself true love to show it!
Wang Xizhi's "Sunny Post When the Snow is Fast", on the left is Zhao Mengfu's script. And the one who will send the chapter the most is Heshen. On the 80th birthday of Emperor Qianlong, in order to please Emperor Qianlong, He Shen and Jin Jian and others selected poems with "Fu" and "Shou" from a large number of imperial poems of Qianlong, and engraved them into two sets of seals with different textures. Among them, the group seal with the word "Fu" is "Baodian Fushu", and the group print with the word "Shou" is "vowel Shou". These two groups of prints are carved with Shoushan stone and Qingtian stone, and the printing shape is diverse, there are rectangular, gourd-shaped, oval, etc., the stone is fine, the shape is exquisite, Qianlong likes it very much.
Vowel Shou 牒" group seal (one box, 30 pieces).In addition, the idle chapter is also known as the layout chapter, including the introduction chapter, the border chapter, the waist chapter and the corner chapter.
1. Introductory chapterIt is a chapter stamped on the right side of the calligraphy work, also known as the "shape chapter", which is carved with the shape of the stone, and is generally not suitable for the square, but to semi-pass, rectangular, round, semicircular, gourd-shaped, natural-shaped, Xiao-shaped, etc. Whether the calligraphy work is stamped with the first chapter depends on the need, if the head is too neat, it needs to be "broken";The weight of the stamp at the end of the paragraph is too heavy and needs to be "lifted";The distribution of the seals on the work is monotonous and needs to be "adjusted", so the first seal should be considered.
The content of the first chapter of the seal on Mr. Qi Gong's work can be divided into: 1Zhai Zhang, the legend began with the jade seal of the Tang Dynasty Prime Minister Li Miduan's room. After the Song and Yuan dynasties, this trend gradually flourished, and almost everyone in the calligrapher had a Zhai seal. The name of Zhai is usually called Zhai, hall, building, pavilion, hall, Lu, Xuan, room, hermitage, etc. 2.Yaqu chapter is mainly used to express one's aesthetic preferences and record one's own tastes and voices. 3.The year number seal is used to record the age of calligraphy works, such as Jiazi, Yichou, Bingyin or 19**, etc. 4.The month number chapter is used to record the monthly order of calligraphy works, such as Shangchun, Ruyue, silkworm moon, etc.
Second, the border chapter, waist chapter. The side block seal refers to the seal stamped on the side of the calligraphy work, which plays the role of blocking the side and gathering energy. Waist badge is often used in long calligraphy works, such as the banner if only the upper right side of the first chapter, the middle appears to be space, can be stamped with the waist stamp, the content of which is mostly the calligrapher's hometown, can also be used calligrapher's zodiac seal. The waist chapter should be smaller than the first chapter and the name chapter, and the three chapters should form a straight line.
Three, the corner of the chapter,Cover the corners of calligraphy works. It is generally used in the two lower corners. Take the upper right corner is called "Yingshou", and take the two lower corners called "Charging Angle". The side seal is only on one side;The corner pressure chapter is on both sides, and it is close to the corner to play the role of "blocking the edge and sealing the corner", "supplementing the emptiness" and adjusting and stabilizing the picture.
Huang Tingjian's "Flower Smoke Post".(3) Appreciation seals
The connoisseur's badge is a connoisseur's badge. It is reported that the collection chapter also began in the Tang Dynasty and became popular after the Song Dynasty. Tang Taizong wrote the word "Zhenguan" as a bead seal, and Tang Xuanzong made a bead seal with the word "Kaiyuan", which were used in the imperial collection of calligraphy and painting. Later, there were many names for connoisseurship, such as collection, treasure, approval, appreciation, and so on. The seal for connoisseurship should depend on the size of the calligraphy and painting, and should not damage the text and picture.
"Qianlong appreciation" on the text of the preface of the Orchid Pavilion
Finally, there is the choice of seal material. Nowadays it is common to use stone carvings. The four famous stones of the Chinese seal are Shoushan stone, Qingtian stone, Changhua bloodstone, and Bahrain stone. The stone should be delicate and free of impurities, with a tight texture, smooth feel and good transparency.
The choice of ink is also particular, generally large works use a darker color ink, small characters use vermilion ink. Especially when printing on a black background, it is necessary to use vermilion ink.
When I was covering it, I wanted to look at a work in detail and find the place where it was solid and dense. If the secret is not compact enough, you can use a seal to make up for it;If the sparse place feels empty, it can be enriched with a seal to make the picture of the work visually balanced.
The style of the seal should also be in harmony with the style of the work. For example, the unrestrained and vigorous calligraphy works should not be covered with the iron wire seal of Juan Xiugong, otherwise, it will be out of place, which will directly affect the artistic effect of the calligraphy works.
Edit: Sure enough.