This Scroll is Sold.

This scroll was completed on June 15, 2009. The dimensions of the scroll are 17.32 Inches wide by 26.18 inches long.

I will also explain how the measurements are traditionally reported. The units of measure from smallest to largest are rin, bun 分, sun 寸and shaku 尺. There are smaller and larger units of measure, but I have never used them in making a scroll.

One Bun (pronounced ichi bun) is approximately 3.03 cm. The measurements of the scroll are

Ten (The top cloth portion of the scroll) = 75 Bun

Chi (The bottom cloth portion of the scroll = 27 Bun

Hashira (The side cloth portions of the scroll) = 35 Bun

Ichimonji Top (This is the red cloth) = 8 Bun

Ichimonji Bottom = 5 Bun

This scroll is written in Kaisho (block print) style by Ryugyoku Yamada. The character reads Ooja, and can translate as champion or ruler. The top character is that used for king.

As always, there are three concepts to consider when creating a scroll. 1. Where it will hang. 2. The contents of the art piece and 3. The artist.

1. Where it will hang. This is on a gold/light brown silk. These colors correspond to the Northeast or Southwest areas of the house according to some Feng Shui schools.

2. The golden silk was chosen particularly for this to provide the image of a champion receiving a gold trophy or belt for the victory achieved.

3. Ryugyoku, although female, has a very masculine style of writing due to the influences of her teacher who is male. The gold seemed to match the strength of the message of this writing.

For more information or to ask questions about price of this scroll please e-mail to info@customjapanesecalligraphy.com.

Southern Utah Photograph

It is a common misperception that kakejiku or wall scrolls are only used for Asian art styles such as Shodo, Japanese or Chinese calligraphy or Sumie. However, one can see that this framing style can beautifully transform a photograph by utilizing cloth colors which both complement and enhance the artists vision. Now the concepts used to frame the photograph will be detailed.

This photograph was taken by David J. West.

As always there are three primary ideals to think about as the Hyousoushi, or framer, when constructing the frame in your mind. These are 1. Where the work will hang; 2. The contents of the work to be framed; 3. The artist and his style, vision or work studio.

1. Place

There was no preset place to which this work would hang, as this was not a commissioned work. Primarily, concept two dominated the reasoning of how this was framed. However, applying the principles of Feng Shui, the green frame and the reddish brown would work well to hang in the East or Southeast areas of a home. These compass points correlate with health/family and money/abundance respectively.

2. Work Contents

There is a spattering of green from the flora of the area within this photograph, and so to bring out that desert plant feel the green solid cloth was used. To provide a soft transition, a dull gold with a very pale green for the Ichimonji, (or cloth with Gold Filament) was used to provide a continuous transition between the stark Red/Brown and the green of the cloth.

3. The Artist

To my untrained eye, David's works tend to use rich textures without using light to overpower the end result. In other words, I felt his works were a little darker than most Southern Utah landscape photographers. Therefore I chose a shade of green that was not as dark as the flora of the picture to complement with a little light, without taking away from the artists original intention.

Ruyi Scepter Scroll

This Scroll is Sold.
Scroll completed June 19, 2009. It measures roughly 2 Feet by 2 Feet. Additional details available upon request. To inquire about purchasing the scroll contact sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com

Background:

This is the Ruyi Scepter, which is a symbol of achieving prosperity in fengshui practice. Ruyi, which is transalated in Japanese as Nyoi literally means "as [you] wish". It is a curved decorative object that is a ceremonial scepter in Chinese Buddhism or a talisman symbolizing power and good fortune in Chinese folklore. A traditional ruyi has a long S-shaped handle and a head fashioned like a fist, cloud, or lingzhi mushroom. (Source: Wikipedia.com )

The Sumie was created by Ren Adams and is an original work. I will explain the theory behind how the scroll was framed. There are three primary principles involved when creating a scroll.

1. Place

2. The Work and it's Contents

3. The Artist

1. Place:

Involves where the scroll will hang. Some of my works are commissioned, but this was not and hence I used Feng Shui Principles of the Ba-Gua to guide how I wanted it to be placed. The color black is associated with the North element of Water, which deals with Career and Path. The Red symbols within the cloth are associated with the South element of Fire, which deals with individual Fame and Repuation. Therefore my hope is that hanging this piece in the North or South area of your home would help career and individual reputation.

2. Contents of the Work

The background of the Ruyi Scepter is explained in detail above. It was used by royalty. For that reason I tried to use the Gold ichimonji with the green to symbolize the wealth and austerity of a royal court, while providing a startk contrast between the black cloth and the black scepter.

3. The Artist

I have seen this artists studio and it is a very creative workplace. I used a non-solid pattern to reflect the feelings emoted when meeting Ren in Albuquerque, New Mexico. As a hyousoushi, I try to think about the artists personality, their vision within the work, the desired feeling to be emoted and where the work was created. These principles help me to decide how to choose the cloth and design of the scroll.

If you have other questions, please e-mail to info@customjapanesecalligraphy.com

7 Virtues of the Bushido

This Scroll is Sold.


This is a scroll with the 7 Virtues of the Bushido written in a semi-cursive style by Ryugyoku. The scroll cloth is a cotton with the figure of a dragon in Black and Red. The paper size is Yatsugiri and the scroll is roughly 5.5 Feet long and 1 Foot wide.

The 7 Virtues are as Follows:
Gi - Righteousness
Yuu - Courage
Jin - Benevolence
Rei - Respect
Makoto - Sincerity
Yoo - Honor
Chuu - Loyalty

Some translations differ in that they utilize Chuugi or other two character words for the principles. I prefer the more esoteric one character principles to provide a less strict interpretation of the meaning of the principle.