By: Himanshi Sharma
The traditional Japanese art of calligraphy, or shodo, is known as "the way of artistic hand writing." It involves carefully drawing classy characters with a brush that has been dipped in Chinese ink. The goal of this cultural, design, and spiritual discipline is to bring the body and the mind into balance.
THE ORIGIN OF CALLIGRAPHY IN JAPAN
Despite the fact that Chinese letters first appeared over 3000 years ago, the history of Japanese calligraphy didn't start until the arrival of Buddhism and Confucianism in the 6th century.
Because the islands of Japan lacked a local writing system, kanji were created using Chinese symbols (sinograms). Monks were sent to China in the seventh century to study native religious customs, including Chinese calligraphy. As a result, calligraphy slowly found its way to Japan, carrying with it poetry, literature, and Buddhist writings. The Kaisho style and Chinese art were its main sources of inspiration.
At that period, three calligraphers stood out: Tachibana no Hayanari, a member of the famous "Sanpitsu" (the three brushes) group, the emperor Saga, Kukai, the founder of the Shingon Buddhist school.
This Japanese art does not really start to take off until the end of the ninth century. The Land of the Rising Sun produced its own calligraphy style based on Japanese beauty.
Japanese syllabic alphabets, often known as Kanas, contributed to the development of the written language in Japan. While the The Katakana are used for foreign terms, the Hiragana are utilized as morphemes of language and for some Japanese words. Before being adopted by men later, these characters were frequently employed by the female members of the royal court during the period known as Heian.
We might mention Sei Shonagon and Murasaki Shikibu as two outstanding female authors who helped shape Japanese literature. Observe that calligraphy was only used by the Japanese royalty and was only learned by court professors and samurais during the 10th century.
Japanese society was greatly influenced by Zen Buddhist monks during the Kamakura period (1185–1333). They created the Bokuseki style, which was influenced by China's Song and Yuan eras. a work of art that uses the Zazen meditation technique to represent the calligrapher's state of mind at the moment of composition.
Later, merchants were also allowed to use Japanese calligraphy, so it was no longer just for the the best. In order to promote meditation, calligraphy was used as an accent during tea rituals. Along with learning the art of traditional dance, literature, poetry, and flower arranging, geishas who were also taught the art of beautiful handwriting.
DIFFERENT CATAGORIES OF JAPANESE CALLIGRAPHY
Chinese characters were the earliest pictograms utilised in calligraphy. (kanji in Japan). They were employed to create Buddhist holy writings, which continue to be an inspiration to modern calligraphers.
The Daijisho :
By changing the lines, movements, and brush pressure, one or two kanji are visually conveyed in this technique.
The Kanas:
These Japanese syllabaries are characters that have been simplified for grammatical reasons. They are primarily employed when writing haiku or poetry.
Kindai shinbunsho
To make it easier to interpret old literature, kanji and kana were combined to form this. A lot of modern poetry is written in the Kindai Shibunsho fashion. This style of calligraphy is frequently used to translate writings from other languages.
The Eisho Zen.
This abstract calligraphy style became popular in the 1950s. Artists communicate themselves freely and produce true works of art without concern for social norms.
CALLIGRAPHY STYLES IN JAPAN
There are five main calligraphic styles in Japan, all of which have Chinese roots. The various writing styles are strongly related to the material at the time.
The Tensho style
Before paper was invented, during the Qin dynasty, this style first existed. The ancient writing on bones, scales, or brass is when the giant seal or large sigil style first appeared. The official form of writing at that time was the little seal. The strokes of the stylus that was used to etch the characters appeared fine and regular.
The Shosho style
This style of writing is most common. Despite having simpler strokes, this calligraphy's most difficult cursive style to master. Its application in Zen and abstract art conveys the author's dynamism.
Gyosho fashion
Originally created by Liu De-Sheng during the Han Dynasty, this semi-cursive script was later adopted by a master calligraphy from China. (Wang Xizhi). Gyosho is a common tool for writing by hand. The artist's brush is always on the page when using this method.
The Kaisho fashion
appeared during the Wei and Jin dynasty and enabled a writing style that was very readable to fulfil the demands of the authority at the time. To make reading easier, the signs are removable and closely resemble print characters. The best calligraphy style for beginners is this one.
THE TOOLS NEEDED FOR CALLIGRAPHY
You will require the four treasures of a writer if you plan to learn Japanese calligraphy. SpecificInk sticks, liquid ink, ink stones, paper, and brushes are the required materials.
Fude: A bamboo wood handle and various-sized brushes complete this Japanese brush. (fine point, long hair, soft, stiff...)
Sumi: Chinese ink is made from a combination of glue, binding particles, and soot from burned resinous wood. It is available as a liquid or as a hand-crafted stick (sumi) made from dry ink. To obtain a liquid ink of black pigment or occasionally coloured depending on the type of wood used for its development, simply rub the stick with water.
Suzuri: To prepare the liquid ink, the stick is rubbed with an ink stone. Stone is a common material for this stone. The brush is dipped into it in this container.
Hanshi: These 25x35-format thin pieces of paper were designed in a handmade manner. They are not made of rice paper, as in China, but rather of silk fibres.
The doors to spirituality are opened by Japanese calligraphy, which is a call to sensitivity, poetry, and the beauty of the universe. You should also be aware that doing this Japanese technique can bring you wonderful peace and help you focus better.
