Zen Calligraphy – Mu, Emptiness
Sold – no longer available
This piece was handmade by Hashimoto Seijun and was a 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 130 cm
- Width 41 cm
- Item Type Kakemono
- Jikusaki Sculpture
- Material Honshi Paper
- Period of Creation Shôwa (1926–1989)
- Technique Hand-Painted
- Unique Work Yes
No longer available
Description
A single character adorns this kakemono: 無 (Mu), to be translated as "nothingness" or "emptiness". The character is set above the center of the composition with a bold, almost tangible brushstroke, so that the force of the ink and the dynamism of the hand's movement remain immediately palpable.
Mu is one of the central concepts of Zen Buddhism, referring to that state beyond opposites in which the mind releases itself from fixed notions. In calligraphy practice, this particular character is considered a special challenge, as it must be created in a single, unrepeatable stroke, thereby revealing directly the inner state of the person writing it.
The work is signed and sealed by Hashimoto Seijun. The simple mounting on light-colored paper with a subtle border gives the character the space it needs to unfold its meditative effect – a quiet, powerful statement for the tokonoma or any place of calm and contemplation.
