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Formation and Interpretation of Archaic Style in Qing Dynasty Sino-Tibetan Calligraphy from the Perspective of Material Carriers

Jianheng Liu
Vol. 6, No. 10, pp. 63-69, 2026 DOI: 10.54691/a19j8n80 October 19, 2026
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Abstract.The antique style of Han-Tibetan calligraphy was developed in the Qing Dynasty, it is not only an aesthetic choice, and it is not unrelated to certain historical events. The study discusses the material carriers of calligraphy, and takes writing tools, writing materials and exhibition spaces as the analysis basis to investigate the genuine shaping effect of the calligraphic style. The research has demonstrated that the difference of writing processes between the bamboo and the brush and the material properties of the Tibetan paper and the Xuan paper are the material circumstances of the genesis of the two archaic types of calligraphy. Institutionalised production techniques, such as writing sutras in gold ink, imperial silk tapestry and the employment of all four calligraphic forms in stone inscriptions, provided the Qing court with the opportunity to juxtapose and analyse Han-Tibetan calligraphy within the same political and cultural arena. Thus the antique form was transformed from a technological rebirth to a symbol of cross-ethnic cultural identification. The material bearers were not passive vehicles of style, but structural variables constitutive of the formation of style. This perspective enables us to demonstrate the intrinsic link between creative form, material technology and political institutions. It also offers a practical way to understand the melting pot of multi-ethnic art in Qing Dynasty.
Keywords. Qing Dynasty; Sino-Tibetan calligraphy; material carrier; archaic style; four-script unity.
APA Citation Jianheng Liu (2026). Formation and Interpretation of Archaic Style in Qing Dynasty Sino-Tibetan Calligraphy from the Perspective of Material Carriers. Frontiers in Humanities and Social Sciences, 6(10), 63-69. https://doi.org/10.54691/a19j8n80

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