Small seal script: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Form of Chinese characters from the Qin dynasty}}

{{Infobox writing system

|name=Small Seal Script

|type=[[Logographic]]

|languages=[[Old Chinese]]

|time={{circa|500 BC|200 AD}}

|time= [[Bronze Age China]]

|fam1=([[History of writing#Proto-writing|Proto-writing]])

|fam2=[[Oracle Bonebone Scriptscript]]

|fam3=[[Bronze script]]

|fam4=[[Large Sealseal Scriptscript]]

|children=[[Clerical script]]

|children=[[Clerical script]]<br />[[Kaishu]]<br />[[Kanji]]<br />[[Kana]]<br />[[Hanja]]<br />[[Zhuyin]]<br />[[Simplified Chinese]]<br />[[Chu Nom]]<br />[[Khitan script]]<br />[[Jurchen script]]<br />[[Tangut script]]

|sample=Edict bronze standard weight Qin dynasty.jpg

|iso15924=Seal

|sample=XiaozhuanQinquan.jpg

|imagesize=

|note=none

}}

{{Infobox Chinese

| c = 小篆

| p = xiǎozhuàn

| w = hsiao³-chuan⁴

| j = siu2 syun6

| l = small seal

| altname = Qin script

| c2 = 秦篆

| p2 = Qínzhuàn

| j2 = Ceon4 syun6

| w2 = Chʻin²-chuan⁴

| l2 = Qin seal

}}

{{Table Hanzi}}

[[File:XiaozhuanQinquan.jpg|right|thumb|Engraving referring to standard weights for balance]]

The '''small seal script''' is an archaic [[Chinese script styles|script style]] of [[written Chinese]]. It developed within the [[state of Qin]] during the [[Eastern Zhou]] dynasty (771–256&nbsp;BC), and was then promulgated across China in order to replace script varieties used in other [[ancient Chinese states]] following [[Qin's wars of unification]] and establishment of the [[Qin dynasty]] (221–206&nbsp;BC) under [[Qin Shi Huang]], the first [[emperor of China]].

'''Small Seal Script''' ([[Chinese language|Chinese]]:&thinsp;{{lang|zh|{{linktext|小篆}}}}, ''xiǎozhuàn''), [[Wade-Giles|formerly]] [[romanization of Chinese|romanized]] as '''Hsiao-chuan''' and also known as '''Seal Script''', '''Lesser Seal Script''' and '''Qin Script''' ({{lang|zh|秦篆}}, ''Qínzhuàn''), is an archaic form of [[Chinese calligraphy]]. It was standardized and promulgated as a national standard by [[Li Si]], [[Chinese chancellor|prime minister]] under [[Shi Huangdi]], the First Emperor of [[Qin dynasty|Qin]].

== History ==

Before the [[Qin's wars of unification|Qin conquest of the six other major]] [[Warring States period|warring states]] of [[Zhou dynasty|Zhou China]], local styles of [[Chinese character|characters]] had evolved independently of one another for centuries, producing what are called the "Scripts of the Six States" ({{lang|zh|六國文字}}), all of which are included under the general term "[[Large Seal Script|Great Seal Script]]". Under one unified government, however, the diversity was deemed undesirable as it hindered timely communication, trade, taxation, and transportation, and as independent scripts might be used to represent dissenting political ideas.

During the [[Eastern Zhou]] dynasty ({{circa|771}}{{snd}}256&nbsp;BC), local varieties of [[Chinese character]] forms had developed across the country, producing the 'scripts of the six states' ({{lang|zh|六國文字}})—which were later collectively referred to as [[large seal script]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Seal Script |url=https://www.cityu.edu.hk/lib/about/event/ch_calligraphy/seal_eng.htm |access-date=2023-09-28}}</ref> This variance was considered unacceptable by the nascent [[Qin dynasty]] (221–206&nbsp;BC), who saw it as a hindrance to timely communication, trade, taxation, and transportation, as well as being a potential vector for fomenting political dissent.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Galambos |first=Imre |year=2004 |title=The Myth of the Qin Unification of Writing in Han Sources |jstor=23658631 |journal=Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae |volume=57 |issue=2 |pages=181–203 |doi=10.1556/AOrient.57.2004.2.2 |issn=0001-6446}}</ref> Around 220&nbsp;BC, [[Qin Shi Huang]] ordered a systematic standardization of the country's weights, measures, and currency, as well as its writing system. Character forms which differed from those used by Qin scribes were discarded, with the Qin forms becoming standard across the entire empire.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Diringer |first=David |title=The book before printing: Ancient, Medieval and Oriental |publisher=Dover |year=1982 |isbn=978-0-486-24243-9 |___location=New York}}</ref>

== Standardization ==

Hence, Emperor [[Qin Shi Huang]] mandated the systematic unification of weights, measures, currencies, etc., and the use of a standard writing script. Characters which were different from those found in Qin were discarded, and the Qin's small seal characters became the standard for all regions within the empire. This policy came in about 220 BC, the year after Qin's unification of the Chinese states.<ref name="Diringer">[[Diringer, David]]. [1982] (1982). ''The Book Before Printing: Ancient, Medieval, and Oriental.'' Courier Dover Publications. {{ISBN|0-486-24243-9}}.</ref>

The standardized use of small seal characters was promulgated via the ''[[Cangjiepian]], a'' primer compiled by LiQin SiShi andHuang's twoministers—namely otherhis ministerschancellor [[Li Si]]. This compilation, statedwhich was claimed to containinclude 3,300 characters, is no longer extant, and is known only through Chinese commentaries throughover the centuries. Several hundred characters from fragmented commentaries were collected during the [[Qing perioddynasty]] (1644–1912), and recent archeological excavations in [[Anhui, China,]] have uncovered several hundred more on bamboo strips, showing the order of the characters;.{{Citation needed|date=September 2023}} unfortunatelyHowever, the script found iswas not the small seal script, as the discovery dates fromback to the [[Han timesperiod]].{{Citation needed|date=September 2023}}

== Encoding ==

The standardized use of small seal characters was promulgated via the [[Cangjiepian]], a primer compiled by Li Si and two other ministers. This compilation, stated to contain 3,300 characters, is no longer extant, and is known only through Chinese commentaries through the centuries. Several hundred characters from fragmented commentaries were collected during the Qing period, and recent archeological excavations in Anhui, China, have uncovered several hundred more on bamboo strips, showing the order of the characters; unfortunately, the script found is not the small seal script, as the discovery dates from Han times.

SmallThe Sealsmall Scriptseal script haswas beeninitially proposed for inclusion in [[Unicode]] in 2015. The 723-page proposal lists many of the best-known examples of Qing-era commentary images.<ref>{{citeCite web|url=httphttps://www.unicode.org/L2/L2015/15281-n4688-small-seal.pdf|title=L2/15-281: Proposal to encode Small Seal Script in UCS | publisher=Working Group Document, ISO/IEC JTC1/SC2/WG2 and UTC|date=2015-10-20|accessdateaccess-date=2016-01-23}}</ref> {{As of|April 2020}}, the proposal remains under discussion.

==Unicode References ==

{{Reflist}}

== External links ==

Small Seal Script has been proposed for inclusion in [[Unicode]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unicode.org/L2/L2015/15281-n4688-small-seal.pdf|title=L2/15-281: Proposal to encode Small Seal Script in UCS | publisher=Working Group Document, ISO/IEC JTC1/SC2/WG2 and UTC|date=2015-10-20|accessdate=2016-01-23}}</ref>

* [https://unicode.org/L2/topical/seal/ Topical Document List: Seal Script], Unicode

* Lookup of seal script is available through some online dictionaries. See the [https://guides.lib.ku.edu/c.php?g=206749&p=1363898 KU libraries] guide for examples.

==See also==

* [[Seal script]]

* [[Large Seal script]]

==References==

{{Reflist}}

{{Chinese Calligraphies}}

{{list of writing systems}}

[[Category:Culture of the Qin dynasty]]

[[Category:Obsolete writing systems]]

[[Category:Chinese script style]]

[[Category:History of the Chinese script]]