An incredible fusion of ancient tradition and modern technology is unfolding in Hunan Province. Technicians from the Hunan Provincial Museum and the Hunan Malanshan Innovation Center for Culture Digitalization have brought to life a 2,000-year-old script discovered on silk fabrics from Han Dynasty tombs at Mawangdui in Changsha City.
The team unearthed 52 texts inscribed on silk, revealing a unique script that bridges the well-known seal and clerical scripts. To preserve and revitalize these ancient characters, the technicians collected high-resolution data, creating an extensive database of 228,700 images and 3,400 3D models.
Zhang Zhun, head of the Hunan Malanshan Innovation Center for Culture Digitalization, explained the meticulous process: “The designers were able to clearly observe the characters in detail from different angles by zooming in and rotating them. After accurately capturing their form and structure and analyzing their style, we transformed them into a digital font that computers can recognize.”
Utilizing advanced AI generation models and vectorization techniques, the collaborative team of calligraphy experts, philologists, and font designers crafted a new font named Mawangdui New Han Clerical. This font encompasses around 5,000 characters and will soon be available to the public for free.
Zhang Zhun expressed hope that this digitization effort will not only make the Mawangdui New Han Clerical font accessible for widespread use but also reignite interest in the rich culture of calligraphy and the Han Dynasty. “By bringing these relics to life, we connect the past with the present, inspiring a new appreciation for our cultural heritage,” she said.
