Of the Use of Calligraphy in Sino-Javanese Communities (18th-Early 21st

Abstract

Calligraphic art was conceived by the Chinese as a technique allowing the acquisition of certain virtues, and the mastery of this art as a proof of eminent qualities. This art dates back to the ancient times. Calligraphy has also been practiced by artists, either amateurs or professionals, who had practical and economic motivations, such as some Ming loyalists who having refused to serve the new dynasty were compelled to rely on this art for negotiating everyday life. Here, we intend to explore the part played by calligraphy in a diasporic milieu, and more especially in Java where Chinese communities have a rather long, but quite eventful history. We will successively review the development of calligraphy during the Qing times, its ups and downs during the 20th century, and its revival during this century in relation with the new political conjuncture.