Clerical script is the Chinese calligraphy script associated with standardized writing by clerks.
Known as lishu in Chinese, clerical script developed from earlier seal script and became prominent during the Han dynasty. Its strokes are generally broader and more angular than those of seal script, with distinctive horizontal movements and often flared endings called silkworm head and wild goose tail.
The style was used for official documents and inscriptions, helping make writing more efficient than the highly rounded forms of earlier seal script. It also played an important role in the historical development of regular script.
Clerical script should not be confused with cursive or running script. Those later styles emphasize speed and fluid movement, whereas clerical script retains a more structured appearance even when written expressively.