WOODBLOCK PRINTING,
AN ESSENTIAL MEDIUM OF
CULTURE INHERITANCE IN CHINESE HISTORY
DAVID H. S. CHAU
Introduction: the development of writing and inscriptions
In ancient China, before characters had been developed, events were recorded by knotted cords and notched wooden sticks. Writing proper began from image forms of visible objects or ornaments. The First legendary Emperor Fu Hsi (伏羲) 2953 BC, the Third Emperor Huang Ti (黃帝) 2698 BC, and the Statesman Tsang Chich (倉頡) 2700 BC are the traditional inventors of the "tadpole characters” (蝌蚪文) and the “bird-track script” (鳥跡文). They observed the animals and birds' tracks and imitated natural forms to create primitive characters and had them carved on stones.
Recent excavations of ancient tombs in China revealed engravings in large quantity of tortoise shells and animal bones. These bones and shells are believed to have been used in the Shang Dynasty (商朝) 1600 BC by the priests or diviners of the court to communicate with the spirits of the dead, and since the dead consulted were mainly ancestors of the rulers, the bones were treated as sacred and were called "Oracle Bones" (甲骨). Whenever a prediction was needed --usually something to do with the weather or a battle--the priest or diviner would inscribe the question on a shell or a bone and then have it heated by fire. The bone or shell would become cracked after being burnt. It was believed that the diviner could read the signs showing on these cracks. The prediction was then also inscribed on the bone for record and future reference. The word "predict" in Chinese character is Pu (卜), which looks like a crack itself.
Inscriptions (銘文) were also found on Shang metallic wares. Most of the items recorded were in commemoration of certain ceremonies in the court or the glories of the battle.
Later on, Chinese developed to use lacquer to record things on bamboo and wooden slips, and had a number of slips strung together to form books.
WOODBLOCK PRINTING,
AN ESSENTIAL MEDIUM OF
CULTURE INHERITANCE IN CHINESE HISTORY
DAVID H. S. CHAU
Introduction: the development of writing and inscriptions
In ancient China, before characters had been developed, events were recorded by knotted cords and notched wooden sticks. Writing proper began from image forms of visible objects or ornaments. The First legendary Emperor Fu Hsi (k☀) 2953 BC, the Third Emperor Huang Ti (✯✯) 2698 BC, and the Statesman Tsang Chich ( ✯ff) 2700 BC are the traditional inventors of the "tadpole charac- ters” ( ***** ) and the “bird-track script” (**). They obser- ved the animals and birds' tracks and imitated natural forms to create primitive characters and had them carved on stones.
Recent excavations of ancient tombs in China revealed engra- vings in large quantity of tortoise shells and animal bones. These bones and shells are believed to have been used in the Shang Dynasty () 1600 BC by the priests or diviners of the court to communicate with the spirits of the dead, and since the dead consulted were mainly ancestors of the rulers, the bones were treat- ed as sacred and were called "Oracle Bones" (†). Whenever a prediction was needed --usually something to do with the weather or a battle--the priest or diviner would inscribe the question on a shell or a bone and then have it heated by fire. The bone or shell would become cracked after being burnt. It was believed that the diviner could read the signs showing on these cracks. The predic- tion was then also inscribed on the bone for record and future reference. The word "predict" in Chinese character is Pu ( which looks like a crack itself.
Inscriptions (# ) were also found on Shang metallic wares. Most of the items recorded were in commemoration of certain cere- monies in the court or the glories of the battle.
Later on, Chinese developed to use lacquer to record things on bamboo and wooden slips, and had a number of slips strung to- gether to form books.
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