Studies On Structure Regionalization Of Characters On Seals Of The Warring States Period

This dissertation briefly reviews the historical and current researches about ancient Chinese characters, especially characters on ancient seals made in the Warring States Period, and studies the patterns of structure evolution of these characters from the perspective of the morphology of ancient characters. It synchronically summarizes the general and regional features of the structure of characters on ancient seals made in the kingdoms of Qi, Yan, Jin, Chu and Qin during the Warring States Period, and analyzes the factors attributable to these regional features. By making comparison among oracle bone inscriptions, the writings of the Western and Eastern Zhou dynasties, and lesser seal scripts, the dissertation diachronically analyzes the evolution process of the character structures as well as the shifting in meanings brought by the changes in structure. In the meantime, the author puts forward his own deciphering to some knotty characters.The emphasis is focused on the structure of characters on the seals of different regions during the Warring States Period. By collecting and classifying these characters and based on the scattered research previously done by others, this dissertation finds some unidentified regional features, such as the prevailing tendency of complexification of the ideogram.皋by adding the radical土, the regional differences in the positions of the semon邑, and the regional writing features of some single characters like平,消, and各. By analysing the phenomenen of the interchangable graphic radicals and sementic radicals, an in-depth analysis is made on the prerequisites and regional distribution of the interchanging and mixing in usage of radicals like彳and辵,土and立,音and言,支and戈The dissertation also makes research on the complexification of these characters and finds the complexfication rules of adding宀,疒and some decorative radicals. In addition, analyses and discussions are made from calligraphic perspective on the features of regional styles of characters on the seals of this period as well as factors in forming these features.The author sets forth his original views on the ancient seals included in Collection of Ancient Seals by applying his research results to the dating, deciphering and verification of seals in the Warring States Period.In the meanwhile, the author tries to blaze a new trial in the research scope and orientation of ancient characters by applying theories of semeiology and western philology to structure research of ancient characters.