List of outstanding Chinese and Japanese calligraphy masterpieces in chronological order

History of Chinese calligraphy: famous masterpieces by era

Xia dynasty (夏朝, 2070 - 1600 B.C.E.)

Shang dynasty (商朝, 1600 - 1046 B.C.E.)    

Oracle bone script (甲骨文) / incision on ox shoulder-blade / text related to sacrificial hunting / mid Shang dynasty (商朝, 1600 – 1046 B.C.E.), late 14th century B.C.E.

Zhou dynasty (周朝, 1046 - 256 B.C.E.)  

Fragment of the ink rubbing from a bronze container named Taibao gui (太保簋) / bronze inscriptions (金文) / early Zhou period

Fragment of the ink rubbing from a bronze dish named Yu din (盂鼎)/ calligraphy in bronze inscriptions (金文).

Spring and Autumn Period (春秋時代, 722 – 476 B.C.E.)       

Mawangdui boshu Laozi yi ben (馬王堆帛書老子乙本), calligraphy in ancient clerical script (古隷) attributed to the legendary Laozi (老子,  possibly lived  during the 6th century B.C.E.) / calligraphy on silk.

Warring States period (戰國時代, 475 – 221 B.C.E.)

石鼓文 (Shi gu wen) / Stone drum inscriptions / exact dating uncertain (possibly 5th century B.C.E.) / the oldest inscription found on stones / great seal script (大篆)

Qin dynasty (秦朝, 221 – 207 B.C.E.)

Yishan stele (嶧山碑), text is attributed to the Prime Minister Li Si (李斯, c. 280 - 208 B.C.E.), Qin dynasty, 219 B.C.E., small seal script (小篆)

Han dynasty (漢朝, 206 B.C.E. - 220 C.E.)

Stone stele entitled Yiying bei (乙瑛碑) text attributed to Zhong Yao (鍾繇, 151 - 230) / erected in 153 C.E. / mature clerical script (八分隷).

Stone stele entitled Liqi bei (禮器碑), author unknown, erected inside of the Masouleum of Confucius in 156 C.E. / mature clerical script (八分隷) /

Xiyue Huashan miao bei (西嶽華山廟碑), calligraphy text is often attributed to Cai Yong (蔡邕, 132 – 192 C.E.), mature clerical script (八分隷), 165 C.E.

曹全碑 (Cao quanbei) /stele erected in 185 C.E. / Han dynasty (漢朝, 206 B.C. – 220 C.E.) / text represents classical example of mature clerical script (八分様)

Three Kingdoms period (三國時代, 220 - 280 C.E.)

Jin dynasty (晉朝, 265 – 420 C.E.)

蘭亭集序 (Lantingji Xu) / calligraphy attributed to Wang Xizhi (王羲之, 303 – 361), composed in 353 C.E. / semi-cursive script (行書) / one of the most famous Chinese classics.

Southern and Northern Dynasties (南北朝, 420 - 589 C.E.)

Zhang Meng long bei (張猛龍碑), classical example of Northern Wei dynasty (北魏, 386 – 534 C.E.) standard script (楷書),  stele erected in 522 C.E.

The Sui Dynasty (隋朝, 581–618 AD)

Thousand Character Classic (千字文) by Zhi Yong (智永, birth and death dates unclear), the great calligrapher and theoretician. Zhi Yong was_He was also author of the 永字八法 calligraphy theory

曹植廟碑 (Cao Zhi miaobei) / inscription on the mausoleum of Cao Zhi (曹植, 192 - 232) / text attributed to Cao Yongluo (曹永洛) / standard script (楷書)

Tang dynasty (唐朝, 618 – 907 C.E.)

_Inscription on the Mausoleum of Confucius (孔子廟堂碑) / calligraphy by Yu Shinan (虞世南, 558 - 638) / standard script (楷書)

Wenyanbo bei (溫彥博碑), calligraphy in standard script (楷書) attributed to Ouyang Xun (欧陽詢, 557 – 641 C.E.), 637 C.E.

Jiucheng Palace inscription (九成宮醴泉銘), possibly the most outstanding example of Chinese calligraphy in standard script (楷書), calligraphy written by Ouyang Xun (歐陽詢, 557 – 641 C.E.)

Treaties on calligraphy (書譜, Shu pu) by Sun Guoting (孫過庭, 648 - 703) / c. 690 C.E. / calligraphy in cursive script (草書)

興福寺断碑 (Xingfusi duanbei) / calligraphy text composed in 721 C.E.  out of characters in semi-cursive script (行書), taken from masterpieces by Wang Xizhi (王羲之, 303 – 361)

 Duo baoda bei (多寶塔碑), calligraphy in standard script (楷書), text attributed to Yan Zhenqing (顔真卿, 709 – 785 C.E.), stele erected in 752 C.E.

Lament for the nephiew Zhai (祭姪稿) by Yan Zhenqing (顔真卿, 709 – 785 C.E.), this masterpiece is one of the most outstanding examples of Chinese calligraphy in semi-cursive (行書) script

Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (五代十國, 907 – 960/979 C.E.)

Song Dynasty (宋朝, 960 - 1279 C.E.)

Luoshen fu (洛神賦)  by Zhao Mengfu (趙孟頫, 1254 – 1322) / calligraphy in semi-cursive script (行書)

Yuan Dynasty (元朝, 1279 - 1368 C.E.)

Ming Dynasty (明朝, 1368 – 1644 C.E.)

Regulated verse (five characters per verse) poem  (五言詩) by Chen Jiru (陳繼儒, 1558 - 1639) / semi-cursive script (行書)

Qing dynasty (清朝, 1644 - 1911)

天発神讖碑 (Tianfa shenchen bei), text in seal script (篆書), calligraphy attributed to Wu Rangzhi (呉熙載, 1799  - 1870), a famous seal carver and calligrapher.

The Republic of China (中華民國, 1912  - 1949)

People's Republic of China (中華人民共和国, 1949 - present)_

       
                                                 

                                           

History of Japanese calligraphy: famous masterpieces by era

Asuka period (飛鳥時代, 592 - 710 C.E.)    

法隆寺金堂薬師如来像光背銘 (Inscription on the halo of the Yakusi Nyorai Buddha statue in the Hōryūji temple), c. 607 C.E. / standard script (楷書) / possibly the oldest stone inscription in Japan

Nara period (奈良時代, 710 - 794 C.E.)

聖武天皇宸翰 (Imperial letters of Emperor Shōmu (701 - 756)  / 賢愚経 (Sutra of the Wise and the Foolish) / first half of the 8th century / standard script (楷書)

Heian period (平安時代, 794 - 1185 C.E.)

風信帖 (fūshinjō), "Letter carried by the wind" / three letters sent by Kūkai (空海, 774 - 835) to Saichō (最澄, 766 - 822) between 810 - 812 C.E. / mixture of semi-cursive and cursive scripts (行草書).

元永本古今和歌集 (Gen-ei era ancient waka compilation) by Fujiwara no Sadazane (藤原 定実, late Heian period) / late 12th century / Japanese kana script (かな)

Kamakura period (鎌倉時代, 1185–1333)    

明月記 (Meigetsu ki) / diary of Fujiwara no Teika (藤原定家, 1162 - 1241) /semi-cursive script (行書) / written  in 1233

Muromachi period (室町時代, 1336 - 1573)

Azuchi-Momoyama (安土桃山時代, 1568 - 1603)

感状 (kanjō) / military letter of commendation by Oda Nobunaga (織田 信長, 1534 - 1582) / written in 1577 / cursive script (草書)

Edo period  (江戸時代, 1603 – 1867 C.E.)

楽志論屏風 (Gyakushiron folding screen) by Ichikawa Beian (市河 米庵 , 1179 - 1858) / 19th century / semi-cursive script (行書)

Empire of Japan (大日本帝國, 1868 - 1947)

Modern era (1947 - present)