The art of shodo, where an ink-dipped brush is used aristically to create Chinese Kanji and Japanese Kana characters, remains a traditional part of Japanese culture.
Works of Shodo are admired for the accurate composition of their character of course, but also for the way the brush is handled in their creation, the shading of the ink, and the balanced placement of the characters on the paper.
Shodo originated in China and came to Japan in the sixth century, along with methods for making brushes, ink and paper. In those days calligraphy was an essential part of the education of members of the ruling noble families. But as time went by the art spread among the common people as well.
Nowadays Shodo is not just an art form to be admired. People use it to write New Year's cards, and in other situations in their daily lives.
Entrance into Nirvana |
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The whole creation / The Universe |
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Flawless / Perfect beauty without trace of artifice |