Amazing Chinese Characters (531) Official - 吏

 The bronze script of the character is

The top is character Middle - 中, plus a short curve which may be a decoration on the head, or a hat, or a typical hair style. The character is similar to character History - 史 (Post 418), the difference is that there is no top curve in character History. 

Let's recall the character History (shell bone script)

Top is character Middle -  中, without the curve.

The big seal script of the character is

Similar to bronze script. 

The small script of the character is

Similar to big seal script.

Compare it to character History (small seal)

Similar to each other, the difference is that one has the top horizontal line, another doesn't.

The clerical script of the character is

The top is similar to small seal script, the bottom for the hand is changed to no similarity at all to the older scripts, the only reason for doing so is to make the writing easier on the cost of losing the pictography of the character.

The Pinyin of the character is Li4.

The character Official - 吏 is an official in lower level than that of 史 (History). Many times 吏 was the lowest official in government. The character is not used for officials anymore.