Autumn Collection Exhibition 1: Calligraphy for Tea Ceremonies

About this event

The hanging scroll 'chagake', displayed as decoration in the tokonoma alcove of a tea room, has been regarded as the foremost utensil that speaks for the host's feelings in that once-in-a-lifetime encounter. This exhibition primarily introduces calligraphy that was prized and appreciated among people as hanging scrolls for tea gatherings, including Zen calligraphy (bokuseki), letters, and ancient calligraphy fragments (kohitsugire) from the Kamakura to Edo periods. In particular, bokuseki by Zen monks were heavily favored, and actual items created under monastic rules where announcements and notices in daily Zen training were entrusted to brush-and-ink writings have been treasured as temple treasures and heirlooms. Through works such as letters by Kobori Enshu, who demonstrated diverse talents in architecture, garden design, and tea ceremony; letters by Hon'ami Koetsu, who founded the Koetsu style; and works by Zen monk Takuan Soho, this exhibition unravels the history and allure of chagake. Takuan Soho's work 'Hasso' gives a refreshing impression with its sharp linework and open spacing. Widely known for his character, education, and outstanding charisma as someone who made a place where he could experience Zen and Buddhist teachings daily his home without being attached to fame or status, he received many invitations from famous daimyo lords of the time. However, Takuan declined these offers outright and spent a life of seclusion by reviving a small temple in his hometown. In the early Edo period, Takuan was exiled for speaking out against Tokugawa Hidetada during the Purple Robe Incident (Shie Incident), but after Hidetada's death, during the reign of his son Iemitsu, he was summoned to Edo and took on a role akin to Iemitsu's personal consultant. The simple, non-flashy pickled radish that Takuan, who valued honest poverty, served to the head of the Tokugawa family, the great Shogun Iemitsu of the time, is the 'takuan' that still appears on Japanese dining tables today. Iemitsu liked this casual dish greatly, and there is a theory that Takuan's name became the name for pickled radish. Perhaps this was hospitality and entertainment for the ruler of the country that only Takuan, who was never swayed by fame or status, could provide. Although eating and drinking are prohibited in the exhibition hall, it is also enjoyable to view the works while thinking of pickled radish in front of Takuan's art.

Venue

Fukuyama Museum of Calligraphy

2F, 2-4-3 Nishimachi, Fukuyama, Hiroshima 720-0067