월간추사

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2025. 09 _ 월간추사 제 1호 : 至에 담겨진 초서 코드 1 영문초록(Abstract)

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Here is the English translation of the summary for the article "The Cursive Script Code within '至' (Part 1)."

This is a summary of the article "The Cursive Script Code within '至' (Part 1)" written by the calligrapher Hangbak Park Deok-jun, featured in Monthly Chusa, Issue No. 1. The article explores the origin and structural principles of Cursive Script (Chōshū) by tracing the evolution of the character '至' (ji). The author moves beyond conventional calligraphy studies to personally investigate the fundamental principles of Cursive Script.
The Starting Point of Cursive Script: The Great Character Transformation of the Qin Dynasty
The author posits that while it is difficult to pinpoint a systematic beginning for Cursive Script, its origin and development coincide with the great character transformation that occurred during the unified Qin Dynasty. At the time, the Qin Dynasty officially used Small Seal Script (Sōden), but for practical purposes, a simplified script known as Qin Clerical Script (Shinkan or Shinrei) was also used by lower-ranking officials to draft documents quickly and efficiently. The concurrent use of these two scripts was empirically proven by the discovery of large-scale wooden slips from the Qin era in Hunan province in 2002.
Key Evidence: The Morphological Change of the Character '至'
The author finds the core principle of Cursive Script's formation in the changing form of the character '至'.
• '至' in Small Seal Script (Sōden): Following the principles of traditional pictographs, it expressed the meaning 'an arrow arriving at the ground' as a single, connected form.
• '至' in Qin Clerical Script (Shinkan): In contrast, this script deconstructed the meaning, representing the 'arrow' and 'ground' components as two separate parts.
This transformation is highly significant. It marks the decisive moment when characters transitioned from being pictographs, which imitate the shape of objects, to becoming symbols (kihō) that represent meaning. The author identifies this 'symbolization' as the true starting point of Cursive Script.
Conclusion: Finding the Origin of Cursive Script in a Record of 'Disconnection'
Paradoxically, the author finds powerful evidence to support this claim in the writings of the Later Han scholar Xu Shen (許愼). In his work Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字), Xu Shen, who standardized characters based on Small Seal Script, criticized the practicality-driven Qin Clerical Script for corrupting tradition.
Xu Shen wrote: "The ancient script (Kōbun) was thus disconnected by the Qin Clerical Script (古文由此而絕矣)."
To Xu Shen, Qin Clerical Script was a negative development that signified a 'disconnection' from tradition. However, the author interprets this record from an entirely different perspective. He argues that the very 'disconnection' Xu Shen described is, in fact, strong counter-evidence proving that Qin Clerical Script marked the beginning of a completely new era in character history.
In conclusion, the author asserts that the precise moment Xu Shen criticized as a break from tradition—the emergence of Qin Clerical Script, which moved beyond pictographs toward symbols—is the very moment the history of Cursive Script began. The principles of 'abbreviation' and 'symbolization' inherent in Qin Clerical Script became the core foundation for the development of all subsequent Cursive Script styles.