Poem by Du Fu

JAPAN; Edo period

This copy of a Tang dynasty (618–907) poem was scripted by the Japanese monk Jakugon at the age of 67. The cursive script is well-ordered and executed with ease, which is indicative of the artist’s profound skill. Plain yet powerful brushstrokes are applied with great care, and each individual character is uniquely composed and rendered in strong, spacious brushwork. This piece is considered one of Jakugon’s best works.
Jakugon, whose original name was Tominaga, was a Shingon Buddhist monk of the mid-Edo period (1615–1868). He was an expert in Siddham, a script used for writing Sanskrit, and it was for this reason that Jakugon authored several books on the language. Together with Ryokan and Jiun, he was known as one of the Three Great Contemporary Monastic Calligraphers.