KU-WEN

Pinyin Guwen (Chinese: ancient script), early form of Chinese writing, examples of which are found on bronze vessels and objects of the Shang (18th12th century BC) and Chou (1111255) dynasties. The term chin-wen (metal script), a reference to those metal objects, has also been used to designate ku-wen characters. Ku-wen is close in appearance to chia-ku-wen (q.v.), the ancient pictographic script found on oracle bones and turtle shells. Although no standardization of form had yet taken place and the arrangement and interrelationship of lines were different in every example, ku-wen showed a gradual development over chia-ku-wen. The number of strokes increased, and characters became more complex structurally and acquired additional meanings. They showed a transition from the pictographic to a more ideographic and abstract symbolization.