战国鸟虫书述论

鸟虫书是我国汉字、书法史上的一朵奇葩,“花期”虽短,却因其极富美的韵味和感染力而为世人所关注。鸟虫书的魅力既表现在线条的虬曲、柔美,也表现在结构的对称、和谐,具有细巧华丽、神奇诡谲的浪漫主义色彩;其形体的修长、挺拔在汉字字林中更是独树一帜。考察鸟虫书的产生与发展历史,我们发现,它与当时特定的社会历史条件有关:春秋战国时期政治思想上的百家争鸣,楚国青铜铸造业的发达,尊凤尚巫的文化习俗及老庄对精神活动自由境界的崇尚等都滋润了它的产生。鸟虫书是楚人当时审美观念、审美意识的具体体现,是楚文化不可分割的重要组成部分。

On Bird-Insect Scripts during the Period of Warring States

Bird-Insect Script is a beautiful flower in the garden of Chinese Calligraphy and philology.Short as its "florescence" is,its artistic appeal and lingering charm of beauty has attracted the attention of many people.The charm of Bird-Insect Script manifests itself not only in its curly and delicate lines,but also in the symmetry and harmony of its structure,which possesses such romanticist properties as magnificence and craftiness,mystery and changefulness;and the slenderness and uprightness of its form set it none but one in the forest of Chinese calligraphy.Through the exploration of the origin and development of Bird-Insect Script,we have found that it is closely related to the social and historical conditions of its age: the contention of numerous schools of thought on political ideas in the periods of the Spring and Autumn,and of Warring States,the highly developed bronze foundry industry in the Chu State,the worship of phoenix and reverence for sorcery being part of its cultural customs,and also the great esteem for spiritual freedom in Lao-zhuang's Philosophy(Taoism),all of which helped to foster its appearance.Bird-Insect Script was a demonstration of the aesthetic ideas and awareness of Chu People in that age,constituting an indispensable component of Chu Culture.