Skip to main content Skip to search Skip to main navigation

Calligraphy "Wild"

Kakemono, unique work, 130 x 63 cm
Product number: 3867

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.

You might like these pieces

Details about the sold piece

  • Height 130 cm
  • Width 63 cm
  • Item Type Kakemono
  • Jikusaki Wood
  • Material Honshi Paper
  • Period of Creation Shôwa (1926–1989)
  • Technique Hand-Painted
  • Unique Work Yes
Sold

No longer available

Description

This powerful calligraphy dates from the Shôwa period; both characters were set onto the paper with a broad, energetic brushstroke, giving the word its full visual presence. The brushwork appears spontaneous yet controlled, as if the writing had been created in a single, concentrated breath.

The two characters mean, roughly, "wild" or "living in the wild," standing for freedom and closeness to nature – a popular theme in Zen-related calligraphy, where the expression of movement counts just as much as the meaning of the script itself. A red artist's seal accompanies the signature at the left edge of the image and confirms the authorship.

Mounted on a fine silk brocade in red and brown tones with wooden axis ends, this hand-painted unique work is an impressive example of Japanese calligraphy that captivates through its reduced, powerful visual language and is excellently suited as a statement piece for modern as well as classic rooms. Works of this kind were often displayed in the tokonoma alcove to give guests an impression of the spirit and character of the master of the house.

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?.