Kakemono Heart Sutra (Hannya Shingyo)

One of a kind — this work exists only once.

Period:
Shôwa (1926–1989)
Dimensions (height x width):
140 x 50 cm
Item number:
5101

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

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

Description

In evenly spaced, calmly composed columns of fine kaisho script, the complete text of the Heart Sutra (Hannya Shingyo) extends across the entire surface of this kakemono. The clear, disciplined hand, with its evenly proportioned characters, attests to great calligraphic training and a meditative concentration befitting the writing of this central Buddhist text.

The Heart Sutra is among the best-known and most frequently recited texts of Mahayana Buddhism, condensing the teaching of the emptiness of all phenomena into a few lines. Its calligraphic transcription is traditionally regarded as a spiritual practice in itself, and such a kakemono was often hung in temples or private devotional spaces to encourage stillness and contemplation.

The text was written by hand on paper and was created in the Shôwa period. The hanging scroll has jikusaki made of wood and is a meaningful object for anyone interested in Buddhist calligraphic art and Japanese calligraphy.

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