Variations of Calligraphy

Almost all calligraphy is old calligraphy. Calligraphy is a style of writing that originated thousands of years ago dating back to 600 B.C. East Asian Calligraphy found its origin in cities like Italy and Rome.

Western calligraphy originates from old calligraphy using not only Roman alphabets but also Etruscan, Phoenician and Greek alphabets as well. Though it was used in palaces by leading scribes it later gained recognition in monasteries where it was used for writing holy books like the Bible. With the frequent wars of the time, Yomiko classics the art of calligraphy flourished and expanded into different styles such as Anglo-Saxon, Celtic, French and many other country-specific styles.

Originating in the 8th century, Gothic calligraphy is famous even today. This is because the script is more readable than other styles with more elaborate lettering.

Croatia and Bulgaria practiced Slavonic lettering that was developed from the Cyrillic alphabet. This is the most recognized script by Westerners today. It consists of 23 letters in the Serbian language which is similar to Russian. Ancient and old calligraphy Cyrillic script known as Uncial is famous because of its clear letters written in straight forms and is easily readable.

The East Asian style, also considered old calligraphy, dates back to 200 B.C. There are no ready parchments available today to prove its worth, but it has been found carved in tablets showing traces of ink long since dried into impressions. Similarly the Japanese and Chinese old calligraphy writings are works of art done with brushes instead of pens. These brushes have different hair types for work in different styles.

India too boasts of old calligraphy works dating back to 265 B.C. when copper was used as the main media for inscriptions of calligraphy. In addition, calligraphers used materials such as palm leaves and birch barks for the purpose. The leaves were cut into long rectangular strips of uniform size tied together by a string sent through a hole in the leaves. Indian calligraphy gained its renown with its writing on palm leaves that are delicate and easy to write on.

Other important countries who can boast of a rich history in old calligraphy are Saudi Arabia, Iran, Tibet and Nepal. Iran has made use of Arabic calligraphy to write the world famous Qur'an and other holy books of different religions. Old calligraphy cannot be considered a thing of the past since it has turned the written word into a thing of beauty, bringing the world together by giving special awareness of various religions and styles.

Edward Ashcroft-Hamilton is a professional calligraphy teacher with over 25 years experience. For more great tips and advice on old calligraphy and download Edward's FREE 10 Day Calligraphy course visit http://www.calligraphywizard.com