Names of Ancient Scripts

[gegeyaya]

I am working with a translator on a book about a calligrapher and trying to classify the different scripts he is using. I am having trouble understanding what name to give Bronze script and Silk script. To me they seem like they are both examples of Large Seal script, so is it okay to refer to them as Large Seal Bronze script? Or is the large seal aspect of it just implied, is Large Seal a family under which you find the Bronze and Silk scripts? While I have never seen them named this way I feel as though the name Large Seal Bronze script might be instructive to a reader who is trying to follow the evolution of the scripts. 

 

Also would you capitalize the names of the scripts the way I have above? As in, "This is an example of Bronze script from the...." or would you write it as "This is an example of Bronze Script from the..."

 

Thanks for your time.

[OneEye]

First of all, "Large Seal (大篆)" isn't really a useful category when talking about the development of the script. I know it shows up a lot in English-language literature on the subject, but I haven't really seen it used at all by palaeographers in either Chinese or English. That's partly because it's much too broad a category to really mean anything. It's essentially "anything before Qin." If you compare Shang bronze script with Warring States-era Chu bamboo script, you'll see how useless a categorization it is.

 

You also want to make sure to make a distinction between time periods, and possibly regions. Shang bronze script and Warring States Jin bronze script are two very different animals.

 

Another thing to note: I personally think it's useful to make a distinction between "Small Seal" and "Qin bronze script." They're not always the same. When I use the former term, I'm referring specifically to the script in the Shuowen Jiezi, a Han-era book which we only have through a Tang-era reconstruction. There are discrepancies between that and the script actually used in the Qin dynasty. And there's a difference between Qin bronze script and Qin bamboo script.

 

Anyway, I'd stick closely to the terminology used in the original. Refer to the Norman and Mattos translation of 裘錫圭《文字學概要》 for guidance in how to translate the terms into English, and feel free to post here if you need more help.

[xiaokaka]

Just to add to OneEye's post, the English title of 《文字学概要》 is “Chinese Writing”, and it can be found here: http://www.amazon.com/Chinese-Writing-Special-Monograph-Series/dp/1557290717

[gegeyaya]

Thank you for the detailed answer, it helps a lot.