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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.)    
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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.)  
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Fragment of the ink rubbing from a bronze container named Taibao gui (太保簋) / bronze inscriptions (金文) / early Zhou period
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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.)       
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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.)
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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.)
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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.)
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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).
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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) /
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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.
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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.)
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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.)
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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)
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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
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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.)
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_Inscription on the Mausoleum of Confucius (孔子廟堂碑) / calligraphy by Yu Shinan (虞世南, 558 - 638) / standard script (楷書)
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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.

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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.)
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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)
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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)
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 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.
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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.)
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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.)
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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)
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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.)    
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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.)
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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.)
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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).
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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)    
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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)
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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.)
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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)
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