Shodo
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Shodo, or the practice of calligraphy, developed as an art form in the 7th
century on the basis of the Chinese karayo calligraphic style. From this
evolved the purely Japaniese style (wayo) and many other sub-styles, all of
which must be mastered by the modern Japanese calligrapher. The oldest
surviving examples of Japanese calligraphy are copies of Buddhist
scriptures and poems.
Some of the most beautiful examples of Japanese calligraphy have been
written in sosho script, notably the commentaries on picture scrolls such
as the Genji Monogatari Emaki. In this case the calligraphy flows across a
background of paper painted in colours and gold (karakami)
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