These six elements are governed overall by two vital factors, harmony chōwa, a term encompassing a large area, but including control of ink and its colour, rhythmic qualities produced by the fluctuation in size and weight of characters and a balancing of all the factors above plus emotion jō, an abstract quality difficult to explain in words, but one I have tried to demonstrate with a few lines below.
A work should never be dull. Rather it should be refreshing, invigorating, exciting, stirring, proud or strong and, however you may express your feelings, always meaningful.
Presently three types of work are generally acceptable at exhibitions in Japan: calligraphy sho, carved seals tenkoku and carved calligraphy kokuji.
Further Elements
Above I spoke of calligraphy sho and it must be realized that by this the Japanese mean anything that is written with a brush based on characters, but not necessarily just characters. The work may be in any style, but should not be a mixture of styles unless the characters are to be written separately to stand side by side as contrasting forms. The text goku of the piece of prose or poetry must be written from right to left. Calligraphy may be divided into two main categories, not to be confused with styles: kanji, Chinese characters, and kana, the Japanese syllabary. In kanji the theme is generally a Chinese poem or prose, whereas kana will concentrate on poems of exclusively Japanese origins like the Manyōshū, (see appendix).
Placing the Seal Inkan
Seals are carved with one’s name or appropriate characters and used as a signature. That dot of red is the touch that finishes off the work and gives it a feeling of artistic completion. How many different seals to use and where to place them on the work are personal decisions. The latter of these two choices Is the more difficult of the problems. The trick is to look at other works and compare your own solutions. There are no hard and fast rules, but a badly placed seal can make a work seem heavy or appear unbalanced. Works will always have a seal even if the formal signature is absent. In the case of long written works jōfuku however, the majority will have both. Furthermore they will often have a few lines at the end rakkan commemorating when and where the work was written, (see appendix)
Once finished, a work should be equipped with a backing hyōgu to give it support and remove wrinkles from the paper before framing. The choice of materials to be used is quite important as are the type and colour of the ink sumi and paper. In certain abstract works the ink will be predetermined, though it is not a rule, and light coloured inks such as shōenboku that spread into a cloud around the character will often be used. Apart from paper, silk and gold are regularly used. One must possess great confidence and a mastery of subject to attempt using silk because of its prohibitive cost. Once written on, it cannot be used again. Gold, however, despite its reputation, is not as expensive as one might think (cf. kokuji). To write on gold, squares of gold foil are placed side by side on a smooth surface so that they overlap just a bit. If these are placed on a byōbu folding screen and hung on display the effect is outstanding. When writing on gold it is well to bear in mind the fact that the ink contrasts only weakly with the foil. In fact it is better to write with very thick nōboku ink as the surface of gold, shiny as it is, will often repel thin ink. The brilliance of gold may furthermore overpower intended subtleties in the work. The factor that makes such work relatively inexpensive is knowledge that mistakes can always be wiped off gold.
Tenkoku Carving Seals
If a seal is to be exhibited as a work in itself rather than as part of a larger work, it will normally be centered near the top of a piece of paper of A4 dimensions (210mm x 300mm although other paper kami can be used) or thereabouts. The contents of the characters on the seal will be written below the seal so viewers can understand it. Such works will usually be carved in old calligraphic styles such as antique kobun, seal tensho or occasionally the scribe’s reisho. Other exotic scripts meant particularly for seal carving are called generically zattaisho and include scripts of varying form, include “flying white” hihaku, “steel wire” and “fence” scripts. Finally either the name of the person who wrote the poem or the name of the artist who carved the seal or both are included.
Kokuji Carved calligraphy
To me a piece of carved calligraphy is the hardest to execute because it is really three works in one. Not only must the written characters be first class, but carving techniques must also be well developed. On top of this one must create a work that is appealing to the eye. A seal and a dedication are also often Included at the written stage and carved together with the other elements of the work.
General Remarks
Never expect to manage a perfect work on the first attempt. Ogishi only began to experience satisfaction with his work at the age of fifty and that after a life of relentless practice. Many calligraphers will write the same piece fifty to a hundred or more times using the best of materials, rare inks and expensive papers each time. Small wonder works of calligraphy are so expensive to buy. Do not be defeated though. After a good many earnest attempts there will be one that stands out from among the rest, good not only from a technical standpoint, but one that also brims with the feeling you had hoped to express.
This effect may be more difficult to manage in seal carving since if one makes a mistake or becomes dissatisfied with this work for some reason or other, the scone must be cut down, sanded smooth and started again. In carved calligraphy this obstacle can be avoided to some extent by writing the original on less expensive paper at the outset or making slight amendments in the tracing. The expense will be incurred in the wood and other materials.
Jō Emotion
It is difficult to express enough the importance of blending an emotional state and calligraphy together in a work. A Chinese proverb puts it succinctly: “If the heart is right, the handwriting will be correct.” A work without feeling may as well be a street sign. Sign painters do not necessarily make the best calligraphers and that is why shops with a reputation to maintain will often commission a famous calligrapher to write their shop sign.
In the hurried, full of pressures world we live in it is often a problem to adjust the feelings of the moment to match the content of our calligraphy. For this I find music invaluable. To engender a sad, lonely feeling I play Sibelius’ Valse Triste. To reproduce a powerful, majestic feeling there is Bruckner’s 9th Symphony. Dixieland Jazz played loudly goes far toward giving me a happy, joyful feeling. You no doubt have musical pieces of your own of which you are particularly fond that will produce differing emotional states in yourself. I would not, however, recommend using a radio because commentary tends to divert the attention and succeeds only in distracting one from the task at hand. Music will win over your heart and your calligraphy will improve by leaps and bounds. As for myself, when planning a work I look for a poem that is one, the right length for the composition I am planning, two, has a content I find enjoyable and three, has characters of a sort that will either make for an attractive work or be challenging. Then I look for the piece of music that I think has similar qualities: the spiritual tone (sadness, happiness, loneliness) that I hope to instill in the work. If you do the same, first put your music on to create the state of mind you require and only then approach your paper. Emotion will flow from your soul, down your arm, through your brush and on to the paper. By now you will have had much practice at making the brush an extension of your arm.
Actual Realities of
Planning Your Work
First of all decide upon the poem, select your materials and style of character and then try a few lines on hanshi paper to determine whether a vertical or horizontal layout suits the size and shape of the work and Just how the characters might best be arranged. Then try your composition on