Kakemono Enso - Zen Calligraphy

One of a kind — this work exists only once.

Signature / Stamp:
Tamai Kazan
Period:
Meiji (1868–1912)
Dimensions (height x width):
109 x 60 cm
Item number:
6093

This piece has been sold.

Sold – no longer available

This piece was handmade by Tamai Kazan 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

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

Description

A loosely but confidently brushed circle forms the center of this hanging scroll, flanked by a multi-line cursive inscription that lends additional context to the Enso. The circle is deliberately left open, a characteristic feature of this Zen motif, symbolizing incompleteness and the impermanence of all existence. Two red seals in the upper and left areas of the composition complement the image and underscore the authenticity of the sheet.

The work is executed on paper, bears the signature and stamp of the artist Tamai Kazan (玉井香山), and dates from the Meiji period. The wooden jikusaki completes the classic, understated mounting of the hanging scroll. The Enso is one of the best-known pictorial symbols of Zen calligraphy and is traditionally completed in a single, uncorrectable brushstroke, making each example unique.

This hanging scroll appeals equally to collectors and admirers of Zen aesthetics and, with its reduced, powerful visual language, is suited to both traditionally and contemporarily furnished spaces.

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