Bodhidharma - Straight to the Heart

Name: Bodhidharma - Straight to the Heart
Brand: Ueda Gizan
SKU: 6455
Price: 450.00 EUR
Availability: InStock

Kakemono, unique work, with box, 135 x 34 cm

Product number: 6455

Height 135 cm
Width 34 cm
Item Type Kakemono
Jikusaki Wood
Material Honshi Paper
Period of Creation Shôwa (1926–1989)
Technique Hand-Painted
Unique Work Yes
Wooden Box Yes

Signature / Stamp:

Ueda Gizan

€450.00

Available, delivery time: 1-3 Days

Description

In sparing, powerful ink strokes, Bodhidharma sits in deep meditation, the bearded head slightly lowered, the robe outlined in a few flowing lines. The posture radiates absolute calm and inner concentration, while the large calligraphy beside it proclaims the famous teaching: "Pointing straight to the heart of man – see into one's own nature and become Buddha." The generous empty space heightens the direct, immediate power of these words and of the figure regarded as the founder of Zen Buddhism.

The kakemono bears the signature and seal of Ueda Gizan, a calligrapher and Zen painter of the Showa or postwar period, who engaged intensively with depictions of Bodhidharma and central Zen sayings. His works draw on the tradition of Zen iconography and interpret it with a clear, reduced brushwork that preserves the spirit of the old masters in contemporary form. Such compositions of figure and calligraphy serve as visual and spiritual stimulus for self-knowledge.

Executed on paper, the piece unfolds an intense blackness of ink with subtle dynamics in the strokes, bringing to life both the contours of Bodhidharma and the energy of the script. The jikusaki made of wood frame the work in a traditional and warm manner. This hand-painted unique work brings the essential message of Zen – the immediate realization of one's own nature – into the room and is especially suited for lovers of Japanese Zen art who value meditative depth and a reduced yet expressive aesthetic.

Frequently asked

Does this piece come with a wooden box (Tomobako)?

Yes, this work is delivered with a wooden box.

Does this work carry a seal or signature?

Yes, this piece carries the signature or seal of Ueda Gizan

When was the work created?

Based on the previous owners' information and the condition of the object we place it broadly in the Shôwa (1926–1989) period, but cannot give a precise date.

Is this genuine craftsmanship?

Yes, this piece is a genuine handcrafted original that exists only once.

Why does the date of creation sometimes not match the artist's dates

Because the two pieces of information speak about different things: the period designation describes the object – support, colors, condition – while the signature reflects which name appears on the painting. In most cases there is no attempt at deception behind this, but rather Japanese painting training: copying from workshop models was the curriculum for centuries, an utsushi is regarded as a bow to the teacher, workshops signed with the master's name, and artist names were passed down within a school. Such a hanging scroll is therefore not a forgery, but a hand-painted one-of-a-kind that continues the formal language of its school – just not the work of the famous name, and priced accordingly. We explain this in detail in the guide Why does a kakemono often bear the signature of an artist long deceased?.