What defines a masterwork of calligraphy? 'Out of Character, ' a collaborative effort from leading Chinese and U.S. scholars, tries to answer this question by focusing on fifteen calligraphic masterpieces. Supporting these masterworks are an additional twenty-five works of the highest quality. Calligraphy has been admired as the ultimate art form by China's educated elite for more than 2,000 years. Over that time a complex set of rules and conven...