Heian Japanese calligraphy examples

[gurdymonkey]

For didjiman .  For our purposes, the Heian period ends in 1185. Assume T'ang Dynasty influences.

http://web-japan.org/museum/calligra/calligra01/calligra01.html includes a number of examples, including a few from later periods. The first piece, a Nara period list of national treasures, you can probably read, as it's in kanji.  Official documents like this one and sutras tend to be in kanji, from what I understand.
#5 from the Kokin Wakashu (or another page from the same poetry collection) does appear in Uncovering Heian Japan. The paper is decorated with gold and silver "glitter".

Here's another very cursive one from the Kyoto National Museum.    It's the Wakan Roeishu, an anthology of Chinese and Japanese poems and it has ponies. We like ponies.


Did the Chinese write directly over paintings or decorated paper like this or is this a Japanese development? There's a collection of fan papers with sutras copied over the paintings in the Tokyo National Museum, for example.

http://books.google.com/books?id=8hIdhJnWP08C&pg=PA93&lpg=PA93&dq=heian+calligraphy&source=bl&ots=XP6E2HSzdr&sig=wU3UOY5Syuia92J4L8MOO4lhw0I&hl=en&ei=qihBTNiqLYq-sQOOwv2zDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CB4Q6AEwAw#v=onepage&q&f=false is the Google Books Preview. The front cover , page 222 and 224 can be viewed and show three of the examples discussed.

Comments

[didjiman.livejournal.com]

I am not aware of ANY example of Chinese painting with the calligraphy on top of the elements. I think it may be considered sacrilege :-)

I am thinking about doing the Heart Sutra again, and may be the diamond sutra, but that one is long ass...

Thanks for the links.

[gurdymonkey.livejournal.com]

I didn't think I'd seen Chinese examples, but I admit I haven't focused on that as much. One of the things Lamarre talks about is the idea that easy readability is a modern concept. One is supposed to be erudite and sophisticated enough to appreciate the layers of artistry combined in the decoration of the paper itself, the calligraphy and the textual content.

[apollonia.livejournal.com]

Looking through my numerous Chinese books, on either paintings or fans, there is nor calligraphy over the main figures. It is done off to the side, down the middle, where ever there is not a main figure of the artwork. The images I pulled were from the Tang to the Ch'ing dynasties.

[ladycelia.livejournal.com]

Even without knowing what is written, this is a strikingly beautiful piece.

[tatsushu.livejournal.com]

Chinese often have calligraphy in paintings, or even put their seals all over it. They usually leave the main image free enough to see what they are talking about (since the poems and seals are about ownership/scholarship/etc. of the piece in question).

That said, this seems like it was specifically meant to be written over, rather than a separate piece.

Here is a Chinese examples:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tatsushu/3067282888/in/set-72157623478428752/

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Chinese do it, but I don't currently have any evidence for it.

[gurdymonkey.livejournal.com]

That's a beauty. I wish my travel budget and plain ol' budget allowed for a visit. I shall have to content myself with the video proceedings of events from Golden Playne that keep popping up over on FB.

[hunrvogt.livejournal.com]

Ponies!!!!