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ASIAN 244-Diversities of Writing in Japan

Text, Image, and "Information"

A chance to think through how the visual impact of text, image, and text with image.

24 Items in this Learning Collection
Mirror

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Mirror

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Mirror

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Calligraphy sample in Seal Script

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Calligraphy: "Bird" in seal script, plus two lines
This is a hanging scroll of calligraphy. On the uppermost section is one large character. Underneath it is two lines. There are three different sized of fonts on this scroll, the uppermost character is the largest. On the right, there are four characters of the medium-sized font. On the left are two or three characters (it is difficult to read) of the medium writing followed by the smallest size of writing directly below. There is a total of three red seals. One on the upper right, on the corner of the largest character, and two on the bottom left next to the small font line.
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Suiten kyo (Sutra of Varuna, Deity of the Waters)
This is a long horizontal scroll with several calligraphic inscriptions on the right portion of the paper. On the left are 3 figural scenes. The one closest to the writing shows a male figure wearing a large headdress seated in the lotus position within a circle. Next there is a figure with four arms who stands on the back of a dragon. Two people stand on either side- one a short blue-skinned man who holds a bowl and the other a smaller figure who holds a brush and paper. The third scene shows a male figure, seated in the lotus position, who holds a sword, a wheel, a brush and paper in his four hands.
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Sutra Fragment, Calligraphy in Block Script
An excerpt from the Lotus Sutra (Japanese: Myōhō Renge Kyō), this sutra uses gold pigment on indigo dyed paper.
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Sutra Scroll Container with Cover

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Thirty-six Immortal Poets: Taira no Kanemori
A male figure is sitting sideways, his face looking toward the front right. He wears a long black cap, a red under-kimono, a grayish-color jacket with geometric patterns, and right gray color pantaloons. He holds a fan, which is peeking from the right sleeve. The painting is accompanied by calligraphy on the right side of the figure. The painting is mounted on gold brocade with strips of purple and gold brocade on top and bottom of the painting.
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Camel
This double-leaf print depicts two camels and accompanying foreign trainers or performers in fringed clothing, with ballooning pants and dark boots. Some of the performers play instruments, while others tend to the camels. Above both pages is writing by calligrapher Santô Kyôden describing the camels and their tour of Japan around 1821.
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Camel
This double-leaf print depicts two camels and accompanying foreign trainers or performers in fringed clothing, with ballooning pants and dark boots. Some of the performers play instruments, while others tend to the camels. Above both pages is writing by calligrapher Santô Kyôden describing the camels and their tour of Japan around 1821.
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Sunrise at Benten Shrine, Suzaki Cape
Two geisha (itinerant musicians) are shown strolling in the countryside, with the roof of Benten Shintô shrine in the distance. The backdrop is the rising sun—the give-away that this is a New Year’s print—seen over distant mountains and a calm bay. One woman stoops to empty the ashes from her pipe, while the other draws her kimono closely about her. A poem lies just above the rising sun in the top left register of the morning sky.
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Ogura-sen Hyakunin Isshu: Murasaki Shikibu (Kano'en Gundaiyu? and Isamu Rokichirô?, two Samurai of Aizu)
According to the colophon, the figures depicted in the lower part of the print are two samurai of Aizu; the large figure in the front is Isamu Sôkichirô, who has challenged the figure in the rear, Rokuya Ongun Taiyu, to a vendetta.
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Seated Woman
A woman in kimono sits with her sleeve to her mouth. The kimono is decorated with fall leaves, and she sits behind lacquwe tea ware. Above her are crest-like decorations in blue, backgrounding the open pages of a book.
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Shuten Dôji; 1/3 of triptych; see 1985/1.178B

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Shuten Dôji; 1/3 of triptych; see also 1985/178A

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Memorial portrait of Nakamura Utaemon [IV]; dated Ka'ei 5/2/17

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Moonlight and calligraphy
This is a painting of a fan. As for the details on the fan, on the left side, there is a drawing of the full moon partly hidden behind clouds. On the right side is writing in calligraphy. There is another line of calligraphy father to the left of the moon. Some of the writing is in red.
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Portrait of the Poet 'Basho'
This portrait of the poet Matsuo Bashō is constructed with seemingly effortless caligraphic lines, and surrounded by lines from one of the poet's works. The figure sits looking out at the viewer, beside his hat and a square container with a handle. The artist's seal is placed to the left of the figure, visually recalling the objects beside the poet on his other side. 
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Broom, Poems, and Poets
&quot;On&nbsp;the&nbsp;right&nbsp;side&nbsp;is&nbsp;a&nbsp;drawing&nbsp;of&nbsp;a&nbsp;straw&nbsp;broom&nbsp;accompanied&nbsp;by&nbsp;a&nbsp;single&nbsp;line&nbsp;of&nbsp;verse that reads,<br /> Ippatsu ichiboku&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;One&nbsp;stroke, one&nbsp;line&nbsp;<br /> Soha&nbsp;zokujin&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Sweeps&nbsp;away worldly&nbsp;dust.<br /> In&nbsp;a&nbsp;Zen&nbsp;fashion&nbsp;the&nbsp;poem&nbsp;suggests&nbsp;that&nbsp;one&nbsp;line&nbsp;of&nbsp;ink&nbsp;will clear&nbsp;away&nbsp;the&nbsp;confusion&nbsp;of&nbsp;everyday&nbsp;life. The&nbsp;sweeping action&nbsp;is&nbsp;materialized&nbsp;by&nbsp;the&nbsp;sketch&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;broom.<br /> The&nbsp;next&nbsp;poem&nbsp;plays&nbsp;upon&nbsp;the&nbsp;sweeping&nbsp;action mentioned&nbsp;above,<br /> Yukuharu&nbsp;no &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Departing&nbsp;Spring&#39;s<br /> Shiripeta&nbsp;harau&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Buttocks&nbsp;are&nbsp;brushed
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Beauty (Taifu)
A colored image of a single woman at the center of the scroll. She appears to be seated though there is nothing beneath her. Her kimono is grey with green grass designs and her under kimono is white. Her obi is a red and green stylized design. Above her head is an inscription.
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Calligraphy: Watching Ducks on a Spring Morning
In this monumental scroll, Nukina Kaioku has brushed a Chinese poem of his own composition, on the enduring theme of nature as refreshment for the spirit. Note his masterful variation of thick and thin strokes, wet and dry ink, stately and rapid movement.<br />The verses may be tentatively rendered into English as follows:<br /> Mandarin ducks enjoy the fresh water; their graceful forms glow as they pass through channels in the reeds.<br /> Pushing beyond the thickets [to the open pond], they call to one another again and again in the dawn.<br /> A crimson mist breaks through gaps in the glade, its glow warming hidden nests.<br /> Waking up with nothing to do, [I came here] to playfully row among the spring waves.
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Calligraphy
A long hanging scroll with stamps in the top right and middle left of the scroll. The five lines of characters are very shaky.
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And Naturally Ripens into Fruit
Hanging scroll with five large calligraphic kanji characters. The lower right contains further text and orangish read seals. The background brocade on which it is mounted is green and gold and has a floral design. Two strips of other material lie across the top and bottom of the white material on which teh calligraphy is painted. These strips also have a floral design and a light gold/yellow background.
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Erin Leigh Brightwell
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Last Updated

August 24, 2020 12:38 p.m.

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