East Asian calligraphy
The East Asian tradition of calligraphy originated and developed in China. The countries that use East Asian calligraphy are China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam.
| East Asian calligraphy | |||||||
 The traditional Chinese character for "writing" or "book". | |||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 書法 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 书法 | ||||||
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| Vietnamese name | |||||||
| Vietnamese | Thư Pháp | ||||||
| Hán-Nôm | 書法 | ||||||
| Korean name | |||||||
| Hangul | 서예 | ||||||
| Hanja | 書藝 | ||||||
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| Japanese name | |||||||
| Kanji | 書道 | ||||||
| Hiragana | しょどう (modern) しよだう (historical) | ||||||
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Tools
In calligraphy, paper, ink, brush, ink stone, paperweight, and a desk pad are used.
Ink
The ink is made from soot and binders. It comes in sticks, and must be rubbed with water on an ink stone. Pre-mixed bottle inks are now available. Pre-mixed bottle inks are for practicing.
Brush
The body of the brush can be made of bamboo, or rare materials like red sandalwood, glass, ivory, silver and gold. The head of the brush is made of the hair of animals, like the wolf, rabbit, deer, chicken, duck, goat, pig and tiger, etc.
Ink stone
The ink stone is used to rub the solid ink stick into liquid ink.
Paperweight
They are used to weigh down paper. Paperweights come in several types, and they are collectible works of art.
Desk pad
The desk pad is a pad made out of felt. Students use these desk pads, which are printed with grids on both sides. When placed under the paper, the grid helps to make the words the right size, and ensures correct placement.
Notable calligraphers
Almost all traditionally educated men (and sometimes women) in East Asia are good in calligraphy. The most famous are:
China
- Mi Fei 米芾
- Wei Shuo 衛鑠（衛夫人）
- Wang Xizhi 王羲之
- Wang Xianzhi 王獻之
- Huai Su 怀素 (懷素)
- Qigong 启功
- Yu Shinan 虞世南
- Zhang Xu 張旭
- Yan Zhenqing 顏真卿
- Liu Gongquan 柳公權
- Ouyang Xun 歐陽詢
- Su Shi 蘇軾
- Huang Tingjian 黄庭堅
- Emperor Huizong of Song Dynasty 宋徽宗 （趙佶）
- Zhao Mengfu 趙孟頫
- Liu Bingsen 劉炳森
- Mao Zedong 毛澤東
- Chiang Kai-Shek 蔣中正
- Kang Youwei 康有为
- Zheng Banqiao 鄭板橋
- Huang Ruheng 黄汝生
- Shi Kefa 史可法
Japan
- Kūkai 空海
- Emperor Saga 嵯峨天皇
- Tachibana no Hayanari 橘逸勢
- Ono Michikaze 小野道風
- Fujiwara no Sukemasa 藤原佐理
- Fujiwara no Yukinari 藤原行成
- Hon'ami Kōetsu 本阿弥光悦
- Konoe Nobutada 近衛信尹
- Shokado Shojo 松花堂昭乗
- Ryōkan 良寛
- Yamaoka Tesshu 山岡鉄舟
- Igaki Hokujo 井垣北城
Korea
- Choi Chiwon 최치원
- Kim Saeng 김생
- Tan Yeon 탄연
- Yi Aam 이암
- Yi Yong 이용
- Bak Jega 박제가
- Kim Jeonghee 김정희
- Kim Myeong-hui 김명회
- Han Seokbong 한석봉
- Sejong the Great 세종대왕
- Grand Prince Anpyeong 안평대군
- Kang Sehwang 강세황
- Yun Sun 윤순
- Yi I 이이
- Yi Hwang 이황
- Yi Sun-sin 이순신
- Shin Saimdang 신사임당
- Jeong Yak-yong 정약용
- Kim Okgyun 김옥균
Styles
There are several word styles in calligraphy. Some of them are; Seal Script (often called small seal script), Clerical Script (sometimes called official, draft or scribal script), Semi-cursive Script (also called running script), Cursive Script (sometimes called grass script), Regular Script (often called ‘standard script’), Edomoji, Munjado, and Kao.
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