Exhibition Outlines

The character for calligraphy “書” was originally written as “” which was a combination of “筆” (brush) and “者” (person) , meaning the act of writing down some matter with letters. Because kanji characters which are the starting point of calligraphy, developed from pictograph, our predecessors discovered a variety of beautiful forms within the shapes of characters, and pursued aesthetic expressions by creating affluent forms devising the shades of ink, usage of different types of brushes and manners of brushstrokes, harmonizing the composition of letters and various types of paper. Furthermore, characters have meanings, and become words and sentences, taking on the important role to express various matters, feelings, and thoughts, skillfully used to create ample expressions. In this exhibition, we will introduce our country’s profuse calligraphy and superior letter culture, through works beginning with the famous Chinese calligrapher Wang Xizhi to those of the modern era.

While being influenced by the Chinese Tang dynasty, beautiful kana characters were harmonized with exquisitely decorated paper of the Heian dynasty, when our country’s unique culture developed. The middle era is when calligraphy styles were established and many records of historical matters exist. The early modern era is when the traditional style of calligraphy spread widely, various learnings were pursued and diverse calligraphy developed. During the late Edo to early Meiji era, the active people in this time of disturbance created many powerful and interesting records. These master works of each era within Sannomaru Shozokan and the Shoryobu (Archives and Mausolea Department ) of the Imperial Household Agency are shown in this exhibition, enabling our visitors to fully appreciate the various charming qualities of calligraphy.

As the proverb “Sho wa hito nari” (translated “Calligraphy shows one’s personality”), the various letters by various people show beautiful inherent forms. We hope our visitors will enjoy the fascinating beauty of “calligraphy” and the various historical matters cleverly transmitted by “letters”, traveling beyond time and space.