SHODO Calligraphy

IN JAPAN, calligraphy (shodo) has long been a major art form. Originally the art of writing

Chinese characters (kanji) was introduced to Japan, together with Buddhism, by Chinese

priests who came to Japan and by Japanese who had traveled to China to study. The Chinese

writing system was admired not only because it was the vehicle for Buddhist teachings, but

also because it was a manifestation of the powerful, charismatic personalities of the priests.

Some of the greatest of these priests even had tales and legends built up around their prowess

with the brush.

            The great Kobo Daishi, a famous monk and scholar in early Japanese history, was said to have on one occasion leapt in the air holding a brush in each hand, a brush gripped in the toes of each foot, and one clenched between his teeth, with which he managed to draw five perfect characters before he touched the ground! Clearly, skill with calligraphy was the stuff of legend.

          In some respects, writing developed along similar lines in Europe during the Middle Ages. Writing, as well as other forms of learning, was developed and preserved by monks and scholars. Because there was no printing process available, books were copied by hand. For the scribes who did this work, legibility and precision were

of great importance. Except in the "illuminated" texts of some prayer books, the work of European calligraphers seldom rose to the level of real art. In Japan shodo has always been considered a fine art, akin to painting, a medium through which the artist finds self-expression. Even today calligraphy is exhibited in galleries and displayed in the tokonoma (a room's decorative alcove).

          Difficulties in adapting Chinese characters for writing the Japanese language led to the

development of a Japanese writing system eventually two syllabaries of kana symbols. One

of these, hiragana, was originally called onnade, "woman's hand." Nevertheless, virtually all the great Japanese calligraphers have been men. Great importance is placed on expressing the

individual's personality in Japanese calligraphy. In the West, the subject of handwriting analysis

is quite popular, and even computers are used in the analysis of a person's handwriting. But

typically, judgements about one's personality as viewer through his or her handwriting-are

rather negative in tone. By contrast, expressing one's personality in Japanese calligraphy is

seen as a display of skill and refinement.

            Japanese study calligraphy to develop their character and to develop a sense of esthetics as well. A foreigner might observe that a Japanese sometimes shows more concern about the appearance than the content of something written. But this attitude fails to appreciate the union of form and content in shodo. A powerful verse can be complemented by forceful strokes of the brush, or a poem about butterflies can be written so that one can almost see them fluttering about on the paper.

          The foreigner who tries to study Japanese calligraphy may be discouraged by the difficulty of making even the simplest strokes. Yet the expert calligrapher can use large or small brushes with great subtlety and can use them in more than one style of writing.

1 shoka: professional calligraphy artist                               7chumawashi: background

2 suzuri: inkstone                                                                 8 honshi: main section

3suzuri-bako: box for inkstone and utensils                       9chi: bottom, or lower, area

4sumi: India inkstick                                                          10jiku: sp indle

5suzuri-no-umi: hollow in inkstone                          13yamato-hyogu: formal-style scroll

6fude-oki: brush rest                                                 14gasan: verse written on painting

7suiteki (suichu): water dropper                               15rakkan: calligrapher's signature or seal

8bunchin: paperweight                                              16fuchin: decorative scroll-weights

9fude: brush                                                               17byobu: folding screen

10hanshi: call igraphy paper                                     18sumi-e: monochrome painting

11shita-j iki: pad underneath paper                           19tsuitate: low screen

12kakejiku: h anging scroll                                       20shikishi: square card for calligraphy

      1makio: excess hanging string                            21ukiyo-e: style of woodblock print

      2kakeo: string for h anging kakejiku             22tanzaku: rectangular card for calligraphy

      3futai: ornamental strips at top of artwork          23gaku: framed calligraphy or sumi-e

      4ten: top, or upper, area                                       24emaki: illustrated narrative scro ll

     5tsuyu: ornamental fringe beneath futai               25maki-gami: ro lled calligraphy paper

     6ichimonji: accenting borders