ABSTRACT
Chinese calligraphy, or shufa 書法 in Chinese, is the art of writing Chinese characters, usually with a writing brush, in an aesthetically pleasing way. It has a long history in China, dating back to the middle Shang dynasty, about 3,600 years ago. It is generally regarded as the most ancient artistic form in the history of China, a unique art that is representative of China, and the most prized among the four major traditional forms of art, the other three being music, chess, and painting. Though calligraphy and painting emerged around the same time and sharing the identical tools of brush and ink, calligraphy was revered as a fine art long before painting. Through the art of calligraphy, the ideographic Chinese characters are presented in different styles and tastes, creating an aesthetic that is pleasing to the eye.
