What defines a masterwork of calligraphy? <i>Out of Character,</i> 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.<br><br>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 conventions has evolved that impacts every aspect of the calligrapher's practice. Within the constraints of their artistic tradition, creativity and self-expression have remained of primary importance to the Chinese calligrapher. With mind and hand in accord, Chinese calligraphers express the strength of their character in the characters they write.<i>Out of Character </i>provides the context and the critical tools viewers need to understand why this art form has been so admired in the Chinese tradition.