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East Asian calligraphy facts for kids

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East Asian calligraphy
East Asian calligraphy
書.svg
The traditional Chinese character for "writing" or "book".
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese 書法
Simplified Chinese 书法
Vietnamese name
Vietnamese Thư Pháp
Hán-Nôm 書法
Korean name
Hangul 서예
Hanja 書藝
Japanese name
Kanji 書道
Hiragana しょどう (modern)
しよだう (historical)

The East Asian tradition of calligraphy originated and developed in China. The countries that use East Asian calligraphy are China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam.

Tools

In calligraphy, paper, ink, brush, ink stone, paperweight, and a desk pad are used.

Paper

The special paper used for calligraphy, is made of rice, paper mulberries, bamboo, hemp, etc.

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

Koku Saitcho shounin
Cry for noble Saichō (哭最澄上人), written by Emperor Saga for Saichō's death

See also [1]

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

Chusa-Buliseonrando-01
Buiseonrando, which was written and painted by Kim Jeonghee

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.

Images for kids

  • Mi Fu-On Calligraphy

    On Calligraphy by Mi Fu, Song Dynasty

  • Oura Kanetake peace 1910

    Japanese calligraphy: the word "peace" and the signature of the Meiji-period calligrapher Ōura Kanetake, 1910

  • Ethiopian Scroll comprising prayers against various ailments Wellcome L0031387

    A painting of Susenyos I (r. 1607–1632) on a Ge'ez prayer scroll meant to dispel evil spirits, Wellcome Collection, London

  • Მარიამისეული ქართლის ცხოვრება.JPG

    The Georgian calligraphy is centuries-old tradition of an artistic writing of the Georgian language with its three scripts.

  • Bowl with Kufic Calligraphy, 10th century

    Bowl with Kufic Calligraphy, 10th century. Brooklyn Museum.

  • Odia calligraphy esabada Odia magazine eodissa

    A Calligraphic design in Odia script

  • Tagbanua musical instrument with inscription of Tagbanua characters

    A musical instrument (tube zither) with Tagbanwa calligraphy

  • Bayi, a bamboo bow from Mindoro

    Bow with Hanunó'o calligraphy

  • Tale of Kieu, vol. 24, p.22

    A page from The Tale of Kieu by Nguyễn Du. 19th century.

  • Edward Johnston

    Edward Johnston, founder of modern western calligraphy, at work in 1902

  • Graily Hewitt

    An example of Graily Hewitt's calligraphy

  • BonpoBook

    A Bön text

  • LindisfarneFol27rIncipitMatt

    Folio 27r from the Lindisfarne Gospels (c.700) contains the incipit from the Gospel of Matthew.British Library, London.

  • Calligraphy.malmesbury.bible.arp

    Calligraphy in a Latin Bible of 1407 on display in Malmesbury Abbey, Wiltshire, England. This Bible was hand-written in Belgium, by Gerard Brils, for reading aloud in a monastery.

  • Westerncalligraphy

    Modern Western calligraphy

  • Nastaliq-proportions

    Example showing Nastaliq's proportional rules

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