Kakemono Calligraphy "The Power of the Emperor Illuminates the World"

Eight powerfully rendered characters fill this kakemono, proclaiming in elevated, solemn language: 'The power of the Emperor illuminates the whole world, righteousness pervades the universe'. Such programmatic sayings were part of the standard repertoire of official and semi-official calligraphies in Japan during the first half of the 20th century.

The characters are executed in a clear, slightly cursive hand, powerful in stroke and set with a confident hand. An accompanying marginal note gives the place and date of the writing and refers to a specific historical event of the Shôwa era, which makes the work of interest not only for its calligraphic quality but also as a document of its time.

For collectors of historical Japanese calligraphy or those interested in the history of the first half of the 20th century, this kakemono represents an illuminating testimony to its time of creation, one that is convincing both as an art of writing and as a document.