Transition from Seal Script to Clerical Script in Han China (c. 3rd century BCE–3rd century CE)

1. Proto-clerical forms appear in late Warring States

   Jan 1, 300 BCELabels: Proto-clerical

   • Clerical script
   • Small seal

2. Qin unification prompts writing standardization

   Jan 1, 221 BCELabels: Qin dynasty

   • Britannica
   • Small seal

3. Small seal script is promulgated as Qin norm

   Jan 1, 220 BCELabels: Small seal

   • Small seal
   • Britannica

4. Qin-era seal writing persists in elite manuscripts

   Jan 1, 215 BCELabels: Wushi'er Bingfang

   • Wushi er Bingfang
   • Mawangdui texts

5. Early Han administration expands everyday writing

   Jan 1, 202 BCELabels: Early Han

   • Clerical script
   • Libian

6. Clerical “change” simplifies seal-style characters

   Jan 1, 200 BCELabels: Libian

   • Libian
   • Clerical script

7. Mawangdui tomb manuscripts show transitional brushwriting

   Jan 1, 168 BCELabels: Mawangdui manuscripts

   • Mawangdui texts
   • Hunan Museum

8. Clerical script becomes dominant in the Han

   Jan 1, 1Labels: Clerical script

   • Clerical script
   • Libian

9. Shuowen Jiezi preserves small seal as reference

   Jan 1, 100Labels: Shuowen Jiezi

   • Britannica
   • Shuowen
   • ChinaKnowledge

10. Clerical-based cursive develops for speed

    Jan 1, 120Labels: Clerical cursive

    • Cursive script
    • Clerical script

11. Xiping Stone Classics are carved in clerical script

    Jan 1, 175Labels: Xiping Stone

    • Stone Classics
    • Clerical script

12. End of Han leaves clerical legacy for later scripts

    Jan 1, 220Labels: Han legacy

    • Clerical script
    • Britannica