Lệnh thư (; 'edict script') is a writing style for Chinese characters (
chữ Hán
( , ) are the Chinese characters that were used to write Literary Chinese in Vietnam, Literary Chinese (; ) and Sino-Vietnamese vocabulary in Vietnamese language, Vietnamese. They were officially used in Vietnam after the Red River Delta region ...
) and
chữ Nôm
Chữ Nôm (, ) is a logographic writing system formerly used to write the Vietnamese language. It uses Chinese characters to represent Sino-Vietnamese vocabulary and some native Vietnamese words, with other words represented by new characters ...
in
Vietnamese calligraphy
Vietnamese calligraphy (Vietnamese alphabet: , ) relates to the calligraphic traditions of Vietnam. It includes calligraphic works using a variety of scripts, including historical chữ Hán (Chinese characters), chữ Nôm (Vietnamese-deriv ...
. It was first developed during the
Revival Lê dynasty
The Revival Lê dynasty ( 茹黎中興; Hán-Việt: 黎中興朝 ''Lê trung hưng triều''), also called the Later Lê Restoration in historiography, officially Đại Việt (Chữ Hán: 大越), was a Vietnamese dynasty that existed between ...
. It was mainly at first used for official edict by the emperor and by officials in the imperial court, but then became widely used in all of Vietnam. It is not used in other countries that also use Chinese characters (such as China, Korea, and Japan) but rather is unique to Vietnam.
Characteristics
The writing script is defined by its distinct sharp upward hooks. It has strokes that are merged, similar to the style seen in
cursive script. Even though the script has merged strokes and is written quickly, it is just as readable as
regular script
The regular script is the newest of the major Chinese script styles, emerging during the Three Kingdoms period , and stylistically mature by the 7th century. It is the most common style used in modern text. In its traditional form it is the t ...
is. In the essay (), wrote that the edict script mimics the style of
cursive script (, ), which is described as imitating the motion of a sword dance. But the edict script underwent changes where strokes were written fluidly with distinctive hooks. He further explains that it seems that it also developed influences from the
cursive script and other scripts used traditionally in Chinese calligraphy.
History
The script first appeared during the period (
Revival Lê dynasty
The Revival Lê dynasty ( 茹黎中興; Hán-Việt: 黎中興朝 ''Lê trung hưng triều''), also called the Later Lê Restoration in historiography, officially Đại Việt (Chữ Hán: 大越), was a Vietnamese dynasty that existed between ...
). During the reign of (,
Lê Thế Tông
Lê Thế Tông (chữ Hán: 黎世宗, 1567 – 12 October 1599, reigned 1573–1599), real name Lê Duy Đàm (黎維潭) was the 15th emperor of the later Lê dynasty of Vietnam.
He was the fifth son of Lê Anh Tông, born during the Trịnh ...
), also describes the writing of that time period (1599) to be more flamboyant with characters taking on the appearance of 'curved heads and twisted legs'.
Gallery
File:Miễn tử tôn hành thiện thi.jpg, A stele dated from 1660, on it is a poem, Miễn tử tôn hành thiện thi (勉子孫行善詩).
File:Đạo sắc phong vừa được phát hiện.jpg, An edict during the reign of emperor Cảnh Hưng 景興.
File:Phúc Thái (福泰) period Sắc phong (敕封) - Bùi Quang Tuấn (12 April 2023) 03.jpg, An edict during the reign of emperor Phúc Thái 福泰.
File:Dương Đức (陽德) period Sắc phong (敕封) - Bùi Quang Tuấn (13 April 2023).jpg, An edict during the reign of emperor Dương Đức 陽德.
File:Cảnh Hưng (景興) period Sắc phong (敕封) - Bùi Quang Tuấn 01.jpg, An edict during the reign of emperor Cảnh Hưng 景興.
File:Cảnh Hưng (景興) period Sắc phong (敕封) - Bùi Quang Tuấn 02.jpg, An edict during the reign of emperor Cảnh Hưng 景興.
File:Cảnh Hưng (景興) period Sắc phong (敕封) - Bùi Quang Tuấn 03.jpg, An edict during the reign of emperor Cảnh Hưng 景興.
File:Sắc phong cho ông Tạo sĩ (tiến sĩ võ) Chử Đỗ Thuyên - Bùi Quang Tuấn & Guốc Mộc (28 December 2020) 02.jpg, A closer up image of the Lệnh thư script.
File:Ưu binh --- Kiêu Binh Nhâm Dần cách nay 240 năm ! - Bùi Quang Tuấn (7 November 2022).jpg, An edict during the reign of emperor Cảnh Hưng 景興.
File:Vĩnh Tộ (永祚) period sắc (勅) for the former Mạc Dynasty officer who surrendered.jpg, An edict during the reign of emperor Vĩnh Tộ 永祚.
File:Sắc phong cho Bùi Tông Vĩ 裴宗偉.png, An edict during the reign of emperor Vĩnh Hựu 永佑.
File:Trinh-sam-document-to-Son-tay.jpg, Trịnh Sâm 鄭森's letter to the Tây Sơn dynasty. Written in Lệnh thư script.
File:ThanhCungVanTue.jpg, Wooden paintings with "聖躬萬歲''"'' (Thánh cung vạn tuế; Long live the emperor!) written in Lệnh thư script. Dated around the 18th century
File:Vietnam 08 - 08 - Temple of Literature (3166800403).jpg, A placard in the Temple of Literature written in the Lệnh thư.
File:Hanoi - Literaturtempel 0020.JPG, The other placard in the Temple of Literature written in the Lệnh thư.
File:Thác bản văn bia Tiên hiền thọ cơ (先賢壽基), làng Nghĩa phú, Chính Hòa 17.jpg, Stele of a poem written in Lệnh thư.
File:Hiền tài là nguyên khí của quốc gia.jpg, Quote by Thân Nhân Trung in Lệnh thư (賢才國家之元氣).
File:Van Mieu temple of Hanoi in 2015 B 36.jpg, 成徳 Thành Đức written in Lệnh thư
File:Hanoi (1344434467).jpg, Characters on a stele.
See also
*
Chữ Hán
( , ) are the Chinese characters that were used to write Literary Chinese in Vietnam, Literary Chinese (; ) and Sino-Vietnamese vocabulary in Vietnamese language, Vietnamese. They were officially used in Vietnam after the Red River Delta region ...
*
Chữ Nôm
Chữ Nôm (, ) is a logographic writing system formerly used to write the Vietnamese language. It uses Chinese characters to represent Sino-Vietnamese vocabulary and some native Vietnamese words, with other words represented by new characters ...
*
Vietnamese calligraphy
Vietnamese calligraphy (Vietnamese alphabet: , ) relates to the calligraphic traditions of Vietnam. It includes calligraphic works using a variety of scripts, including historical chữ Hán (Chinese characters), chữ Nôm (Vietnamese-deriv ...
*
Chinese calligraphy
Chinese calligraphy is the writing of Chinese characters as an art form, combining purely Visual arts, visual art and interpretation of the literary meaning. This type of expression has been widely practiced in China and has been generally held ...
Further reading
Chia sẻ hơn 88 sắc phong thời cảnh hưng mới nhấtDigitalized Stele with Lệnh thư inscriptions
References
Vietnamese calligraphy
Chinese calligraphy
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