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Calligraphy – One with the Universe

Kakemono, unique work, 188 x 48 cm
Product number: 3730

Sold – no longer available

This piece was a handmade one-of-a-kind work. It cannot be reordered and will never exist in this form again. The page stays online as part of our archive.

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Details about the sold piece

  • Height 188 cm
  • Width 48 cm
  • Item Type Kakemono
  • Jikusaki Sculpture
  • Material Honshi Paper
  • Period of Creation Shôwa (1926–1989)
  • Technique Hand-Painted
  • Unique Work Yes
Sold

No longer available

Description

Everything in the universe is united in one heart – this philosophical thought, rooted in Zen Buddhism, was captured here in large, powerful characters that take up almost the entire height of the image. The brush begins each stroke with a dense, dark application and then trails off into energetic, at times dry strokes, so that the individual characters stand out from the light-colored surface in an almost sculptural way.

To the left of the main inscription is a smaller, multi-line dedication naming the occasion or recipient of the calligraphy – a common practice for works created as gifts or commissions. Two red seals confirm the authorship. The clear composition gives the script plenty of room to breathe and reinforces the meditative effect of the maxim.

The calligraphy is carried by paper, mounted in an olive-green, shimmering silk border with a subtle damask pattern, created in the Shôwa period. Anyone engaging with Zen thought or the philosophy of the unity of man and cosmos will find in this hanging scroll a vivid and at the same time powerful artistic realization of this theme.

Frequently asked

No – as a one-of-a-kind piece it exists in a single example only.
We would be glad to look for one. Get in touch with the details of the object you are looking for and we will see what we can do.
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?.