Kakemono Calligraphy: Homage to Kannon Bodhisattva

One of a kind — this work exists only once.

Period:
Meiji (1868–1912)
Dimensions (height x width):
216 x 60 cm
Item number:
4459

This piece has been sold.

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

  • JikusakiMetal
  • Material HonshiPaper
  • MotifBuddhism and Zen, Calligraphy
  • TechniqueHand-Painted

Description

With a few powerfully placed brushstrokes in the cursive Sōsho style, this calligraphy pays homage to the Bodhisattva Kannon, who is also known as Kanzeon in Japanese Buddhism and called Avalokiteshvara in India. The flowing, merging strokes convey a particular dynamism and make the spiritual veneration underlying the text immediately palpable.

The work was created in the Meiji period (1868–1912); it was entirely hand-painted on paper. Formulas of veneration for Kannon, the Bodhisattva of compassion, are among the common themes of religious calligraphy in Japan and were often created by Buddhist monks or educated laypeople as an expression of personal piety.

The roller rods are fitted with metal ends. This kakemono is suited to collectors interested not only in pictorial art but also in the spiritual and calligraphic tradition of Japan, and its energetic brushwork lends a particular presence to any room.

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