Daigoji Temple: Withdrawal of Recommendation

JAPAN, Kyoto; Heian period

Shobo, an eminent monk of the Shingon school in Japan, and pioneer patriarch of Daigoji Temple in Kyoto, wrote this scroll. He was posthumously named Master Rigen. The text describes Shobo’s intention to withdraw his recommendation of someone, which he later deemed a mistake due to an earlier lack of discernment on his part. The calligraphy was written in 907, and was later listed as an Important Cultural Property of Japan in 1959.
Brushstrokes are brief and rounded with visible differences in application pressure between each character. The calligrapher wrote until the ink was nearly run out, before re-inking the brush to continue the work. Long, thin characters are interspersed among broad and short ones, expressing freedom and speed in the execution. The overall work exhibits a natural and free sensibility reminiscent of the cursive script style of famous calligrapher Yan Zhenqing.