Analyze and Archive of Handwriting Movement Focusing on Masterpieces of Calligraphy

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K18329
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 1:Philosophy, art, and related fields
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: OGAWA Akiho 筑波大学, 芸術系, 准教授 (20630908)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-07-09 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 書字運動 / 手指構造 / 運動解析 / 字径 / 大字 / 筆管の回転 / 筆順 / アーカイブ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study analyzed the movement of writing and examined how outstanding works of calligraphic art were produced, which could only have appeared in one generation. An assumption of the brush-holding style was made on the basis of the characteristic letterforms evident in the famous calligraphy and the historical literature. Based on this assumption, I conducted an experiment using the Finger Motion Capture and concluded that the rotation of the brush shaft was used in such works.
Furthermore, as a result of repeated writing of several calligraphic works, it was assumed that, in addition to changes in the environment for writing, including tools, two other factors were essential for the creation of new calligraphic expressions: (a) writing larger than before and (b) clockwise rotation of the brush shaft. It was also considered that the new expressions faded relatively quickly as they gradually began to mix clockwise and anti-clockwise rotation and became labor-saving and lighter.

Free Research Field

中国書法史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

細字（字径約3cm）を基準に筆管回転を想定することにより、燕尾（顔真卿大字楷書の特徴的な右払い）・断筆（王羲之草書などに見える一旦切れたような転折）の出現や、縦簾紙（細い縦罫の紙）の使用、大書が流行した中国明代以降に筆順に関する論著が刊行されたことなど、理由の定かではない歴史的な事象についても説明が可能となった。これらは日本・中国の書道史研究に応用できるほか、名筆の拡大臨模（まねて書いたり敷き写すこと）や意図的な書風選択を行う現在の書写書道教育の見直しにもつながるものと思われる。
また、本研究で得られた映像や運動解析データをアーカイブ・公開したことで、身体技能研究全般への寄与が期待される。