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Calligraphy of a Deity's Name

Kakemono, unique work, 180 x 44 cm
Product number: 3875

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 180 cm
  • Width 44 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

In even, confidently rendered characters, this calligraphy extends over the entire length of the paper, conveying a solemn, almost ritual effect through its disciplined, calm arrangement alone, which invites quiet contemplation and lends the room a distinctive presence.

In terms of content, this is the name of a deity, as venerated in the religious and spiritual contexts of Japan and used in calligraphic form as a devotional image. Such scrolls often served as decoration for a household altar or as a visible expression of personal piety and were written with great care and inner concentration, often over many hours of practice.

Written on paper, fitted with roller ends made of wood, and dating from the Shôwa period, this hand-painted unique work is a quiet, dignified testament to Japanese calligraphy and spiritual tradition, suitable as a contemplative focal point for a quiet place in the home. Such devotional scrolls usually found their place in a quiet corner of the house, far from loud activity.

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?.