East Asian calligraphy

East Asian calligraphy is a form of calligraphy widely practised and revered in the Sinosphere. This most often includes China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. The East Asian calligraphic tradition originated and developed from China. There is a general standardization of the various styles of calligraphy in this tradition. East Asian calligraphy and ink and wash painting are closely related, since accomplished using similar tools and techniques. Chinese painting and calligraphy distinguishes themselves from onther culture's arts by their emphasis on motion, and their charge with dynamic life. According to Stanley-Baker : "Calligraphy is sheer life experienced through energy in motion that is registered as traces on silk or paper, with time and rhythm in shifting space its main ingredients". Calligraphy has also led to the development of many forms of art in East Asia, including seal carving, ornate paperweights, and inkstones.

Definition and classification

Names

The local name for calligraphy is Shūfǎ 書法 in China, literally "the way/method/law of writing"; Shodō in Japan, literally "the way/principle of writing"; and Seoye (서예) 書藝 in Korea, literally "the skill/criterion of writing". The calligraphy of East Asian characters is an...
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