Sho Japanese Calligraphy. Christopher J. Earnshaw

      

      Christopher J. Earnshaw

      Japanese Calligraphy

      TUTTLE PUBLISHING

       Boston, Rutland, Vermont, Tokyo

      Published by Tuttle Publishing, an imprint of Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd.

      © 1988 by Charles E. Tuttle Publishing Co., Inc.

       All rights reserved

       LCC Card No. 88-51194

       ISBN-13: 978-0-8048-1568-0

       ISBN-10: 0-8048-1568-2

       ISBN: 978-1-4629-0782-3 (ebook)

       First printing, 1989

      Distributed by:

Japan	Tuttle Publishing Yaekari Building, 3rd Floor 5-4-12 Osaki, Shinagawa-ku Tokyo 141 0032 Tel:[phone] Fax: [phone] [email protected]
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Asia Pacific	Berkeley Books Pte. Ltd. 61 Tai Seng Avenue, #02-12 Singapore 534167 Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone] [email protected] www.periplus.com

      10 09 08 07 14 13 12 11 10 9

       Printed in Singapore

      TUTTLE PUBLISHING® is a registered trademark of Tuttle Publishing, a division of Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd.

      PREFACE

      Calligraphy is an art form that has been studied for over three thousand years. The line, being the basis of all Oriental art, has, of course, a deep relationship with the art forms of countries around the world. I believe a knowledge of calligraphy will be an important string to one’s bow in the understanding of Japanese culture and in making friends with Japanese people.

      For over thirty years I have endeavoured to make Japanese calligraphy easier to understand and appreciate, so that it will appeal to not just experts, but people of any country. As an explanation of calligraphy this book will probably be the first introduction for people other than Japanese and Chinese, and through this book the people of countries all around the world will have a chance to experience a little of the world of calligraphy, that seems so simple, but that is in reality a rich and rewarding study. It is the author’s desire that this book will help in the understanding of the origins of Japanese culture.

      Born in Oxford, England in 1953, Christopher Earnshaw studied calligraphy and Japanese studies at Daito Bunka University in Tokyo and classical Japanese and Chinese through London University. He has held several exhibitions both privately and as the group Terakoya, in Japan and abroad. Receiving his Master’s licence Shodō Kyōjusha Shikaku Ninteisho in calligraphy in 1978, he exhibited several times in the Mainichi exhibition, the first time being in 1979 and received a gold prize in the twentieth All Japan Calligraphy Exhibition. Presently he lives with his family near Kobe, Japan and works for a British pharmaceutical company.

      TERAKOYA

      This is a name given to a type of school run during the Tokugawa Period (1603 -1868) by samurai to teach the local children the three R’s. In this case that meant reading yomi, writing kaki and arithmetic soroban. The school was usually a designated place, and likely as not a temple would lend rooms, hence the name “children of the temple room” terakoya. A famous mathematics textbook was written for the Terakoya by Yoshida Mitsuyoshi called Jingōki. In it he introduces the concept of compounded multiplication, nezumizan. Can you answer one of the problems he poses? If a pair of mice had twelve offspring every month, half of which were female, and every month those offspring also bore young, after twelve months how many mice would there be?

      The Terakoya this author runs is a group of non-Oriental calligraphers who attempt to further the art through group study and exhibitions and thereby promote in themselves and others a cultural awareness and deeper understanding of Japan.

      An illustration of a nineteenth century terakoya

      Answer: 27,682,574,402 Mice

      CONTENTS

       Foreword

       The Beauty of Japanese Calligraphy

       A Practical Guide

       What you will need

       Things to know before getting started

       Further elements

       Realities of planning your work

       Hyōgu backing

       Framing and Exhibiting

       Tenkoku Seal Carving

       Kokuji Carved Calligraphy

       Takuhon Rubbings

       Hyōsatsu Name Plates

       Tehon explained

       Tehon examples

       Kaisho The Standard Script

       Gyōsho The Semi-cursive Script

       Hiragana The Japanese Syllabary

       The History of Calligraphy

       A Chart

       China

       Japan

       Zen and Calligraphy

       Korea

       The Four Treasures

       Fude Brush

       Sumi Inkstick

       Kami Paper

       Suzuri Inks tone

       Interviews with Famous Calligraphers

       Uno Sesson - Abstract Calligraphy

       Kaneko Ōtei - The Modern Movement

       Chō Yōseki - Carved Calligraphy

       Naruse Eizan - Classical Calligraphy

       An Appraisal of a Work - Sōsōshi

       Appendices

       A few facts about Kanji, Kakijun, characters for daily use, monograms, graphology, Eiji Happō

       Greetings

       The Seasons

       Special Names for a Person’s Age