Editing Penmanship (section)

=== Handwriting based on Chinese script ===

Writing systems developed in East Asia include [[Chinese character|Chinese]] and [[Japanese writing system|Japanese]] writing systems. Chinese characters represent whole morphemes rather than individual sounds, and consequently are visually far more complex than European scripts; in some cases their pictographic origins are still visible. The earliest form of Chinese was written on bones and shells (called [[Jiaguwen]]) in the fourteenth century BC.  Other writing surfaces used during this time included bronze, stone, jade, pottery, and clay, which became more popular after the twelfth century BC.<ref>[[Tsien, Tsuen-Hsuin]]. (1969). ''Written on Bamboo and Silk''. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 180.</ref> Greater Seal script ([[Dazhuan]]) flourished during 1100 BC and 700 BC and appeared mainly in bronze vessels.<ref name="ancientscripts.com">{{Cite web |title=AncientScripts.com: Chinese |url=http://www.ancientscripts.com/chinese.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010714214335/http://www.ancientscripts.com/chinese.html |archive-date=14 July 2001 |website=AncientScripts.com}}</ref> Lesser Seal script ([[Xiaozhuan]]) is the precursor of modern complex Chinese script, which is more stylized than the Greater Seal.<ref name="ancientscripts.com"/>

Chinese handwriting is considered an art, more so than illuminated manuscripts in Western culture.  [[Calligraphy]] is widely practiced in China, which employs scripts such as [[Kaishu]] (standard), [[Xingshu]] (semi-cursive), and [[Caoshu]] (cursive).<ref>Robinson, Andrew. (2007) ''The Story of Writing''. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd. p. 194.</ref> Chinese calligraphy is meant to represent the artistic personality in a way western calligraphy cannot, and therefore penmanship is valued higher than in any other nation.<ref>Tschichold, Jan. (1948) ''An Illustrated History of Writing and Lettering''. New York: Columbia University Press. p. 13.</ref> Standard Script ([[Kaishu]]) is main traditional script used today.

Japanese writing evolved from Chinese script and Chinese characters, called [[kanji]], or ideograms, were adopted to represent Japanese words and grammar.<ref>Robinson, Andrew. (2007) ''The Story of Writing''. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd. p. 199.</ref> Kanji were simplified to create two other scripts, called [[hiragana]] and [[katakana]].  Hiragana is the more widely used script in Japan today, while katakana, meant for formal documents originally, is used similarly to italics in alphabetic scripts.<ref>Robinson, Andrew. (2007) ''The Story of Writing''. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd. p. 201.</ref>