Linking language and art
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Curriculum connections:
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Focus concepts:
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Effective pedagogy:
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Learning intentions
Students will:
- practise calligraphy in the Chinese tradition
- design their own name/symbol into a ‘chinese chop’
- print the chop.
Background information
Ideally, this unit on chops and calligraphy is linked to earlier work on Chinese culture and heritage. If possible, work with the teacher of lessons 1–3 and develop from these ideas. It is also useful to share the developed chops with the students who are learning about the Chinese language, culture, and heritage in other areas.
Chinese calligraphy is an art form that requires years of practice and dedication. It is also a form of communication and language. Today’s written Chinese language reflects the traditional calligraphy, but in a simplified form. Students can still take classes after school to develop skills in the traditional art of calligraphy. (See Appendix 9.)
A chop is a developed block signature (also known as a seal). Chops are also used in Japan and in many other countries of the world to identify the maker of an item of craft (pottery, silverware, and printing). A chop is typically made of stone or wood and uses red ink. A chop is almost always square. It is still a contemporary form of art and today in China you can buy a chop of your name on the streets. It is a unique and individualised art form. Have a look at this photo (PDF 100KB).
Useful websites on calligraphy
Visit the China Culture website for lessons on how to hold a brush, strokes, etc.
Investigate these useful resources on Chinese calligraphy, seals, graphic arts, and artists:
- Chinese Calligraphy – Language as art
- Calligraphy
- Seal
- Appreciation of the art of Chinese calligraphy
Activity 1 – Calligraphy: its origins and brush strokes
Complete language lesson 3 – Numbers and writing.
Look at the origins of calligraphy:
Integrate the learning of brush strokes and calligraphy with the learning of some Chinese numbers. Copy Appendix 8 and give to students. Work initially to practise the numbers with a pen or pencil. Then, if possible, use black Indian ink on paper to develop brush strokes. Have the students practise their name with brush strokes as well as the numbers.
Examine other symbols and emblems (for example, the Olympic Games calligraphy pictograms and chops), and practise writing these.
Activity 2 – Designing your own chop
Adapt this to suit your time constraints. You can make a chop in one or two periods, or you could connect it to a wider unit on Chinese art forms, for example, scrolls and banner making.
What you need:
- some 2cm by 2cm erasers (you can cut these in two – but the base needs to be square/rectangle to be able to be used as a ‘stamp’)
- a cutting implement (needle, small craft knife) CAUTION!
- ink stamp pad or relief ink.
Method:
- Draft – on paper: Part of the tradition of developing a chop is making it meaningful for the individual. The use of the Roman alphabet for New Zealand students is therefore appropriate, as is the use of New Zealand images and symbols. The outside shape is traditionally square/rectangle, but it can also be round or another shape. To design their own chop, students could start off by using written names in English, Chinese, or another source of visual imagery, for example, personal/ancestral imagery or a personal interest (such as music). They should make the chop as unique to themselves as possible – they could consider their whakapapa and cultural design motifs that they identify with (ask: "What does it say about you?"). For example, students could work in a language of their choice.
- Once the draft has been finalised, students start work on ‘carving’ their erasers – practise caution at all times and instruct students on how to cut away from themselves when they do this.
- Use ink (red is best) and practise getting the ‘stamp’ right. Once the chop is made, you can glue the eraser onto a small piece of wood to make it last longer. Use a stamp pad with ink or relief ink. In Chinese tradition, a chop ‘signature’ is usually red.
- Develop a class scroll by using the individual chops from each student on one long sheet. (See some ideas on Calligraphy: Symbols and signs – task 5–6.)
Key questions
- What does your chop show?
- What influences traditional Chinese chops?
- What are the influences on your chop?
- What aspects of your culture and heritage does it show?
- What does the collective artwork on the scroll communicate? (In other words, consider a stranger viewing it – what would s/he be able to tell about your class?)
Language focus
Refer to language lesson 4 – Likes and dislikes.
