Shiyang He Sini Script: The Evolution and Typographic Innovation of Arabic Writing in ChinaThis presentation explores the dynamic evolution of Arabic script in China—known as sini(صيني, “Chinese”)—from its manuscript origins to print adaptations, revealing a unique typographic legacy shaped by cultural synthesis. Introduced via Silk Road exchanges in 651 CE, Arabic script underwent deliberate sinicizationby the Hui minority, culminating in the 17th century with distinct stylistic branches: Mushaf(Quranic), Naskh (non-religious texts), and Brush style (everyday documents). Unlike canonical Arabic styles, siniprioritized aesthetic harmonization with Hanzi (Chinese characters), adapting tools (brush over reed), stroke modulation, and compositional principles.
1. Historical Synthesis:Analysis of 1401–1895 manuscripts and printed works (e.g., the 1895 Bao Ming Zhen JingQuran) demonstrates how Hui scribes fused Arabic structures with Hanzi calligraphic traditions, yielding left-slanted vertical strokes, simplified joins, and square-framed compositions.
2. Print Revolution: China’s exclusive use of xylography (woodblock printing) for Arabic texts enabled bilingual typography. Innovations like 90°-rotated Arabic embedded in vertical Chinese text challenged directional norms, predating modern W3C bidirectional scripting standards.
3. Cultural Significance:Sini transcended religious use, appearing on porcelain, mosque inscriptions, and Catholic proselytisation materials—evidence of its socioreligious embeddedness.