On this t-shirt, there are two types of characters from the Khitan (Liao) Dynasty, which were built nearly a thousand years ago.

Since the Khitan script is an undeciphered script, there is still room for further research on how to read it, but the script on the left is the Khitan large script and the script on the right is the Khitan small script, both of which read "mo doron usug". The Khitan scripts on this t-shirt were designed by faithfully reproducing the script of the actual Khitan inscription.

This t-shirt was designed to commemorate the 34th MojiMoji Cafe "Deciphering the Khitan Script" held in April 2012. The t-shirt was designed by Mr. Naoyuki Takeshita, a typeface designer, and supervised by Mr. Wu Yingzhe, a researcher of the Khitan language and script at Inner Mongolia University in China, who was staying at the Institute of Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies at the time.

Supervision: WU Yingzhe Ph.D. (Researcher, Inner Mongolia University, China)
Design: TAKESHITA Naoyuki(typeface designer)
Planning and production: Mojimoji Cafe

At the beginning of the 10th century, the Khitan people created two kinds of script, the Khitan large script and the Khitan small script. It is recorded that the large script was created in 920 by the Emperor Taizu of Liao, Yelü Abaoji（耶律阿保幾）, but it is thought that it was created by Yelü Tulvbu（耶律突呂不） and Yelü Lubugu（耶律魯不古）under the order of Abaoji.

The small script was created by Abaoji's younger brother, Yelü Diela（耶律迭剌）. Although the year of creation is unknown, it is assumed to have been some years after the large script was created.

All of them are imitations of Chinese characters, and the small scripts are thought to be based on the phonetic system of the Uyghur script. The large and small scripts have completely different forms.

After the fall of the Great Liao Dynasty (Khitan Dynasty, 907-1125), the Khitan large and small scripts continued to be used in the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234), and were abolished in 1191.

In 1922, the Khitan small script was discovered at the Qingling site in Inner Mongolia, and in 1951, the Khitan large script was discovered at Jinxi Xi Arc Mountain in Liaoning Province.

At present, scholars from China, Japan and many other countries are making efforts to decipher the Khitan scripts.

Words from the supervisor

These large and small Khitan scripts were extracted from the rubbings of two stone inscriptions, the "Inscription on the tomb of Yelü ki" (1108) and the "Inscription on the tomb of Yelü Kaji" (1071), respectively, and were carefully refined by Mr. Takeshita. I would be happy if you could read the characteristics of the script of the Khitan people, the conquerors of the Mongolian steppe, through these characters.

WU Yingzhe Ph.D.（Jun. 17, 2012）

Words from the designer

I put the two types of Khitan script side by side, so that people can compare them. The large script is similar to the shape of Chinese characters, and the small script is more complex. It is interesting to note that even though they represent the same word, they have different numbers of characters.

The old rubbings had noticeable chips, but I used my imagination to refine them.

TAKESHITA Naoyuki（Jun. 27, 2012）

Updated March 14, 2023
○: in stock, number: number in stock, -: out of stock