Chinese Calligraphy: From Pictograph To Ideogram: The History Of 214 Essential Chinese/Japanese Characters
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Good
Long before alphabets gave shape to sound, the ancient Chinese gave shape to meaning — and Chinese Calligraphy: From Pictograph to Ideogram chronicles that extraordinary visual journey through 214 of the most essential Chinese and Japanese characters. Rooted in the pictographic traditions of one of the world's oldest civilisations, this richly illustrated volume traces how simple drawings of the natural world — horses, mountains, fire, and water — were gradually abstracted into the elegant, complex ideograms that continue to define East Asian writing to this day. The book presents each character's evolution in meticulous detail, guiding the reader from its earliest oracle bone inscriptions through successive dynasties of stylistic transformation, making it an indispensable resource for students of language, art history, and cultural anthropology alike. Author Edoardo Fazzioli brings a rare blend of sinological scholarship and artistic sensitivity to the subject, illuminating not merely the mechanics of writing but the deep philosophical and cultural worldview encoded within each brushstroke. His accessible yet authoritative prose dismantles the perceived barrier between Eastern and Western modes of understanding, arguing that the ideogram is not merely a tool of communication but a living record of human civilisation. For anyone captivated by the intersection of art, language, and history, this volume poses an irresistible question: what else might be hidden in plain sight within the strokes of a single character?
Author: Edoardo Fazzioli
Format: Hardback
Genre: Asian history
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Good
Long before alphabets gave shape to sound, the ancient Chinese gave shape to meaning — and Chinese Calligraphy: From Pictograph to Ideogram chronicles that extraordinary visual journey through 214 of the most essential Chinese and Japanese characters. Rooted in the pictographic traditions of one of the world's oldest civilisations, this richly illustrated volume traces how simple drawings of the natural world — horses, mountains, fire, and water — were gradually abstracted into the elegant, complex ideograms that continue to define East Asian writing to this day. The book presents each character's evolution in meticulous detail, guiding the reader from its earliest oracle bone inscriptions through successive dynasties of stylistic transformation, making it an indispensable resource for students of language, art history, and cultural anthropology alike. Author Edoardo Fazzioli brings a rare blend of sinological scholarship and artistic sensitivity to the subject, illuminating not merely the mechanics of writing but the deep philosophical and cultural worldview encoded within each brushstroke. His accessible yet authoritative prose dismantles the perceived barrier between Eastern and Western modes of understanding, arguing that the ideogram is not merely a tool of communication but a living record of human civilisation. For anyone captivated by the intersection of art, language, and history, this volume poses an irresistible question: what else might be hidden in plain sight within the strokes of a single character?