Formation And Development Of Theory "Sphragistics Out Of Calligraphy"

Deng Shiru is definitely an icon in the history of seal engraving of calligraphy in Qing Dynasty.He studied a lot about calligraphic art like stone tablet in Han Dynasty,inscriptions,epigraphy,etc.When he explored the calligraphic approaches of “inputting official script into seal characters” and “Writing official script with seal characters”,he made the best of the principle of “Correlation Between Calligraphy and Sphragistics” and boldly applied it in seal engraving field.He developed seal engraving ideas of “Inputting Calligraphy Into Sphragistics” and “Sphragistics Out of Calligraphy”,which made his seal engraving perfect and complete and exert an everlasting influence on the later generations.This paper,by means of documentary research and mutual demonstration between graphs and texts,is divided into 4 parts: Part I explores the backgrounds and opportunity of Deng Shiru's idea “Sphragistics out of Calligraphy”,and looks into the great influences of his earlier calligraphy studying experiences and epigraphy backgrounds on the founding of his academic ideas.Part II objectively evaluates and analyses the idea of “ Seeking Sphragistics in Sphragistics”,and then explains Deng Shiru's Sphragistic ideas of “Sphragistics Out of Calligraphy” and related creative practices;Part III takes stone tablets in Han Dynasty for example and probes into how Deng Shiru's seal character scripts and seal engravings' referred and developed from this kind of works;Part IV,through a case study,points out influence and meanings of Deng Shiru's introducing stone tablets in Han Dynasty and seal characters into sphragistics,especially the pioneering and guiding values and meaning on later ideas and practices of “Seeking Sphragistics out of Sphragistics”.