Bokuseki became a part of the major artistic flowering associated with Zen Buddhism during the Muromachi period (1338 1573), at which time calligraphy was regarded as an essential cultural accoutrement of a distinguished Zen monk.
In Chinese it is pronounced 'dao', and, altered in Japanese mouths, this sound became the 'do' part in judo and aikido, and indeed in shodo – which means calligraphy, or the 'way of writing'.
The collection also includes many old copies of the Koran, some of which include calligraphy in gold ink, as well as "all the sorts of texts you would need to run a medieval Islamic university," MacDonald says.
Earlier, he had shown me his fan's calligraphy, which consisted of a poem entitled "Do Not Get Angry".
Alternatively, you can read the show's lucid labels, which translate the calligraphy and offer basic historical information.
A cartoon traditionally aims to give all its information at a glance; it is a kind of calligraphy, which reduces marginal details to the most cursory scribble.
As Leonardo was respected for his unparalleled draftsmanship, Koetsu was revered for his calligraphy, which he mastered in several styles, Chinese and Japanese.
What holds the album together is Jin's calligraphy, which appears on every page, as dark, bold and gridlike as netting.
One of the paradoxes of calligraphy, which this exhibition brings to the fore, is that it is essential to type design, but has also been marginalized by it.
