| Calligraphy is an artistic style of lettering. Aesthetics of | | | | millennium, with the advent of Arabic style it merged |
| this stylish lettering system helped it earn its place | | | | into the path of evolution of Arabic calligraphy. Arabic |
| among all visual art forms. The historic perspective of | | | | form is better known as Islamic form as it unites |
| its evolution as a technique as well as skill also | | | | works of Islamic artists all over the globe. This has |
| supports its categorization among the art forms. It was | | | | mainly been used to decorate ceilings and walls of |
| initially a vehicle of preserving religious texts. But today | | | | mosques. |
| it is a means of designer lettering for invitation cards of | | | | The Oriental Calligraphy has historically been |
| events, nameplates, memorial documents, and | | | | dominated by Chinese forms. The evolutionary history |
| certificates, inscriptions on various media like stone or | | | | of this art is rooted in ancient bone inscriptions with |
| metal plates, fine art pieces and also for designing | | | | Jiaguwen characters whose brush-drawn |
| logos. | | | | counterparts sank into oblivion. Through the unification |
| It has been evolved on different parts of the globe in | | | | of the vast landmass, since pre-Christian era, different |
| different manners. The conspicuous lines of evolutions | | | | Chinese rulers attempted to regularize single |
| have been distinguished as Western, Middle Eastern | | | | Calligraphic form and styles all over the territory. But |
| and Oriental. While Western calligraphy has maintained | | | | the culturally variant political unit spread over the vast |
| a singular dimension of evolution, Middle Eastern | | | | landmass kept on practising local forms, even |
| calligraphy has two branches, viz, Islamic or Arabic and | | | | informally. |
| Persian and Oriental calligraphy has evolved differently | | | | Indian Calligraphy was initiated during the 2nd Century |
| over discreet geographic regions as China and its | | | | BC, during the reign of Asoka by introduction of Brahmi |
| imperial occupations in Japan and Korea, as South | | | | and Kharoshi scripts. They were chiefly used in stone |
| Asia comprising India, Nepal and Tibet. The shape, size | | | | inscriptions. Nepalese style is a much younger than |
| and colors used in lettering vary in each of the three | | | | other styles over the globe. It started with the spread |
| evolutionary trends; so varies the tools. | | | | of Mahayana and Bajrayana sects of Buddhism. But |
| Basically the Latin writing system has evolved into | | | | the original style has been derived into many forms |
| Western calligraphy. Yet there are lesser involvement | | | | which later on migrated to distant parts of South and |
| of Greek and Cyrillic alphabet writing styles, too. The | | | | South-east Asia. Tibetan Calligraphy inherited India |
| first formed calligraphy for Book of Gospels was | | | | scripts. They are evidently found on Buddhist prayer |
| Carolingian. It gradually transformed into Gothic with | | | | wheels even today. |
| sharply pointed letters and its rounder yet heavy | | | | Tools differs widely between Western and oriental |
| looking variation was Rotunda. The later was a | | | | world. While Western world has chosen pens of flat |
| favorite in Italy and Spain while the former was a | | | | and round nibs and occasionally brushes, the Oriental |
| preference for the rest of the Europe. Gutenberg's | | | | practitioners preferred to use brushes of different |
| bible used the Gothic style. | | | | kinds of hairs. The later creates variations in outputs |
| The Middle Eastern styles are two distinct evolutionary | | | | using different bases. However, both the schools |
| lines. The older Persian style is eminent for its nail | | | | subscribed to ink as the sole medium. Contemporary |
| shaped lettering in horizontal, vertical and diagonal | | | | western world is empowered with pens of ink |
| directions. It was developed during 6th century BC and | | | | cartridges. |
| continued to be used in monument inscriptions. After a | | | | |