Part of Chapter 6 of Sutra of the Wise and the Foolish (Emperor Shōmu Version)
- Person
-
作者Attributed to Emperor Shōmu
- Date
-
制作年 Nara period (8th century)
- Title
- ケングキョウダイロクダンカン（オオジョウム）
- Measurements
- 27.2×13.5
- Materials, techniques and shape
- 紙本墨書
- Collections
- Century Akao Collection
- Depository
- Institute of Oriental Classics (Shido Bunko) Campus Mita
- Ref. number
- AW-CEN-000203-0000
- License
- CC BY Images license
- Creditline
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Keio University (Century Akao Collection)
- URL
- Classification
- Art
- AI Tagging
- Handwriting Art Font
This segment shows a manuscript of Volume 6 of the Kengukyo (Sutra of the Wise and Foolish, a typical allegorical Buddhist scripture containing 69 anecdotes; an abbreviation of the Sutra of the Karma of the Wise and Foolish). Section 27 of this volume tells the story of the King with Good Eyesight. During the Momoyama and early Edo periods, such a fragment was used to decorate Kohitsu Tekagami, or albums of exemplary calligraphic masterpieces. Normally, one line of a sutra manuscript contains 17 characters, but the exhibited piece has only 12 to 13 characters per line. As such, this segment is popularly known as the O-Jomu, or Large Shomu Sutra, due to the large letters and since one of the kohitsu (ancient calligraphy) connoisseurs who examined this segment attributed it to Emperor Shomu. However, it obviously was not written by the emperor. The block-style brushwork shows the strong influence of the ancient Northern Wei Dynasty (China, 5th c.), especially in its rigid, deep and heavy structure with dynamic and determined strokes. The sutra is copied on dabi (lit. cremation) paper, which only was used during the Nara Period for sutra copying. The black and brown powdery deposits on the paper resemble cremated ashes, hence giving this paper its unforgettable name. However, it was later learned that the blackish powder was derived from the bark of fragrant wood, which was scattered across the surface of ryoshi paper (decorated Japanese paper) and then ruled with diluted ink, resulting in an exquisitely decorative effect.
写経切の代表的存在が『賢愚因縁経』の断簡である「大聖武」です。古筆手鑑では最初にこれを貼る習慣があり、行数も重視され、ないものは格が低いとされました。経典は通常1行17文字ですが、これは文字が大きく12あるいは13字です。中国・北魏時代の影響の濃い雄渾な筆跡で、東大寺の大仏を建立するなど仏教を庇護した、聖武天皇にふさわしいと判断されたのでしょう。表面の小さな粒々は檀の樹皮で、釈迦の骨紛との伝承から「荼毘紙」と呼ばれます。この紙を使用した経切には、文字の大きさが異なる「中聖武」と「小聖武」もあります。5行分のこの切には古筆家初代了佐の極め札が付されており、古筆流行の初期から存在した切であったことが分かります。今でもとても人気の高い切です。(佐々木）
「書を極めるー鑑定文化と古筆家の人々」展（2022.4 慶應義塾ミュージアム・コモンズ）図録 掲載
Overview
Rights
Depository and ID
Components
OPEN DATADESIGN
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Details
Identifiers
- Title (EN)
- Part of Chapter 6 of Sutra of the Wise and the Foolish (Emperor Shōmu Version)
Physical description
- Weights and quantities
-
Quantity 1 幅
- Materials, techniques and shape
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Materials 荼毘紙(香木の粉末を漉きこみ、芳香と防虫を兼ねる)／軸は朱塗りShape 1 Hanging Scroll
- Attachments
- 二重箱／極札「了佐」の極め
Provenance
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