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Article: Calligraphy of a Poem. (Japanese art lesson)
- Article from:
- School Arts
- Article date:
- November 1, 1993
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1993 Davis Publications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Looking Carefully
This Japanese hanging scroll, Calligraphy of a Poem by Hon'ami Koetsu (Hon' ah mee Joe' eth sue), combines the three highly regarded arts of poetry, calligraphy and painting. The poem is written on a square sheet of paper outlined in black and mounted onto a shimmering landscape. Silver iridescent clouds fill the sky, and cut squares and strands of gold and silver paper are scattered like pebbles and stalks on the ground. The calligraphy runs down the page, right to left, dipping into the slow eddies of a silver stream below. The characters flow together, wavering between fat and thin brushstrokes. Above the five lines of calligraphy are ...