Well scripted
To mark the Lunar New Year, Jane Drew looks at how best to incorporate Chinese calligraphy into your home
1. Take a good look
Hang it where you can really study it, is the first rule in displaying calligraphy, literally "beautiful writing". More than any other factor, it is the claim that calligraphy can serve as a medium of revelation and self-expression that best accounts for its continued popularity. The viewer is able to mentally retrace, stroke by stroke, the exact steps by which the work was made — if he can get close enough.
2. Create a perfect match
Similar works or ones created by the same scribe will always complement each other, as will pieces from the same period. A more innovative approach sees scrolls paired with prints by Picasso and Matisse, two artists who openly declared the influence of Chinese calligraphy on their work.
3. Frame it well
A mirror is a traditional fixture in the dining room, where artwork can be too distracting. It should hang above the mantelpiece or to the side of the table, where it will reflect candlelight and improve the overall ambience.
4. Fit the space
Always ensure that you choose a wall space that suits the shape of the framed work. Long thin scrolls, typically of five feet, look well as a pair hung either side of a doorway; horizontal compositions can be placed above the dining table where they mirror the lines of the table and provide a talking point.
5. Watch the wow factor
As a high impact, graphic art form, calligraphy has the ability to overpower a scheme so make sure that you surround larger works with plenty of blank wall space. Boldly hued calligraphy can look out of place in a cool, contemporary home setting.
6. Be sure the message fits
Though undeniably pictorial, calligraphy is of course all about the written word. Single character pieces, commonly denoting prosperity, longevity or good luck, suit any setting but more complex couplets or poems require careful positioning. For instance, a written composition celebrating nature is best hung in a room with a view.
7. Elicit calm
To avoid a clichéd look, steer clear of red-, black- or gold-based calligraphy and opt instead for a more refined colour palette, such as grey and green. Decorating with simple, spare, monochromatic scrolls complements minimalist furnishings and adds an aura of peace and serenity.
8. Use protection
Elaborate or antique works call for ornate period frames, either in bamboo or lacquer. It's important to bear in mind that valuable calligraphy requires specialist framing to deter damp and ultra-violet light.
9. Be nostalgic
Due to the fluid line, the expressive brushstroke and the graphic possibilities inherent in different characters, calligraphy has an immediacy of impact that is always contemporary. What's more in this digital age, it seems likely that the desire for this type of hand-wrought craftsmanship will only increase.
10. Did you know?
The single most commonly reproduced example of calligraphy is the four-character phrase Renmin Ribao — The People's Daily — that to this day appears on the masthead of every copy of the official newspaper of the People's Republic of China. These four characters were originally brushed by Chairman Mao himself.
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