Enso – Zen Calligraphy of the Circle
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 120 cm
- Width 61 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
A dark circle, drawn as if in a single breath, dominates the picture field of this kakemono: the ensō, one of the best-known motifs of Zen calligraphy. The brush sets down forcefully, circling the surface in an even sweep and leaving a small opening at the lower edge, where beginning and end almost, but not quite, touch.
This deliberate incompleteness is an integral part of the symbolism: the ensō stands for the unity of becoming and passing away, for emptiness and fullness at once, and is regarded as a direct expression of the state of mind at the moment of painting. Since no correction is possible, its execution is considered one of the most demanding exercises in Zen art.
The sheet has come down to us unsigned, which does nothing to diminish the effect of the pure, powerful circle. Mounted unobtrusively on light-colored paper, this kakemono is especially well suited as a quiet, meditative focal point in a simply designed living room or tea room.
