Calligraphy Poem "Monks Playing Chess"
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 164 cm
- Width 50 cm
- Item Type Kakemono
- Jikusaki Wood
- Material Honshi Paper
- Period of Creation Shôwa (1926–1989)
- Technique Hand-Painted
- Unique Work Yes
No longer available
Description
Two parallel columns of powerful characters tell a short poem here: two monks sit facing each other on the mountain playing chess, while the shadow of the bamboo lies sharp across the board and only the quiet click of the stones can occasionally be heard. The verses unfold a meditative, almost tangible stillness, further underscored by the calm, even brushwork.
Such poetic calligraphies combine literary education with calligraphic skill and were equally prized among scholars and monks; the motif of the chess game in the bamboo shade stands symbolically for timeless leisure and mental clarity. A dedication line with date, signature, and two red seals completes the composition. Created on paper in the Shôwa period, the hanging scroll is bordered with a dark green mounting fabric and mounted on a wooden rod.
With its poetic depth and elegant brushwork, this Kakemono Calligraphy Poem "Monks Playing Chess" is a particularly evocative piece for lovers of Japanese literature and the art of calligraphy.
