Lipian 隸篇

Lipian 隸篇 is a kind of dictionary on the chancery script (lishu 隸書) written during the late Qing period 清 (1644-1911) by Di Yunsheng 翟雲升(1776－1860), courtesy name Wenquan 文泉, from Yexian 掖縣, Shandong. He was assistant instructor at the Directorate of Education (guozijian zhujiao 國子監助教) and was famous for his calligraphy. His collected writings are called Wujingsuibianzhai ji 五經歲遍齋集.

His conspectus of character styles, finished in 1837, has a total length of 45 juan, spread over three parts with 15 juan each. It assembles calligraphic variants of individual Chinese words or characters based on sources from the Han 漢 (206 BCE-220 CE) to the Jin 晉 (265-420) period, written on stone slab, bronze objects or calligraphic works on paper and silk, mostly in the shape of rubbings of model calligraphy boards (motie 摹帖). Di Yunsheng was inspired to his book by the Song-period 宋 (960-1279) dictionary Leipian 類篇, which also assembles, compares and rectifies calligraphic variants, but by transforming them into print-style characters. Yet for his book, Di reproduced the original shapes of characters. He also diligently indicated all his sources, and compiled a register in three parts, the first for sources, the second for characters radicals, and the third for individual characters. Based on the model of Gu Aiji's 顧藹吉 book Libian 隸辨, Di Yunsheng also compiled a chapter on character parts (Pianpang 偏旁), and appended an essay on the change of writing styles from the small seal script to the chancery script, Libian tongli 變隸通例.

A reproduction of Di's book by the Saoye Shanfang 掃葉山房 changed the title to Lishu da zidian 隸書大字典 "Grand dictionary of chancery-style characters".

Figure 1. Example of an entry in the Lipian 隸篇

Various shapes of characters with the radical shi 示 "numinous affairs". The sources of all variants are indicated. Xuxiu siku quanshu 續修四庫全書 edition.