Saturday, November 25, 2017

Obaku Calligraphy by Hyakusetsu Genyō 百拙元養


Philadelphia Museum of Art has three pieces of calligraphy by the Japanese Obaku monk Hyakusetsu Genyō 百拙元養 (1668 - 1749). Hyakusetsu was Gaoquan Xingdun's 高泉性潡 dharma heir and was famous for painting and calligraphy. The three pieces were titled as "Three Poems" and their cataloging information is as follows:

Three Poems

Hyakusetsu Genyō, Japanese, 1668 - 1749

Geography:
Made in Japan, Asia
Period:
Edo Period (1615-1868)
Date:
Late 17th - early 18th century
Medium:
Ink on paper, mounted as a triptych of hanging scrolls
Dimensions:
Exclusive of mount, each: 37 1/8 × 10 1/4 inches (94.3 × 26 cm)
Curatorial Department:
East Asian Art
Object Location:
Currently not on view

Accession Number:
2008-89-1a--c
Credit Line:
Purchased with funds donated by Andrea M. Baldeck, M.D., and William M. Hollis, Jr., 2008

Label:
One of the early major Obaku monks born in Japan, Hyakusetsu studied poetry, painting and tea ceremony in Kyoto, as well as Rinzai Zen Buddhism. He was well-respected among the aristocratic circles of Kyoto, as a leader in both religious and in cultural circles. He founded a new temple, Hozoji in Western Kyoto in 1733.

Hyakusetsu's calligraphy is characterized by strong contrasts between wet and dry brushwork. This triptych of scrolls is an homage to his spiritual roots in Rinzai Buddhism and his teacher, Hyakuju.






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