浪人Rounin & 武士道Bushidou Scrolls

These scrolls were ordered as a pair. The customer wanted larger scrolls 5' in length. So we had to use larger paper and the writing on the characters is very large.

If you would like to order a custom scroll there are three ways to get started: 1. Go to my shopping site at www.shop.customjapanesecalligraphy.com 2. Download my scroll design workbook from my website at www.customjapanesecalligraphy.com to read about the concepts behind kakejiku or wallscroll design. 3. E-mail to me directly at sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com

For those who don't know, a Bushidou means, "Way of the Warrior" and a Rounin was a "masterless Samurai" either because of the death of the daimyou he served in battle or loss of the master's favor. See wikipedia for a more detailed explanation. Literal meaning is someone carried on the waves or a person aimlessly floating.

One thing I wanted to make clear, is that this picture was taken from a Seza position, (kneeling). This is the traditional way to view scrolls, and is the reason that the Ten is longer than the Chi, to provide balance between the artwork and the viewer. For the display, I wanted to use a katana or wakizashi, but could not find my wakizashi and did not have access to a sword. So everyone will need to settle with the fake bonsai. As a set these scrolls are very beautiful in the Navy Blue Cloth with a Green/Gold Ichimonji. Additionally, the Jikusaki are wood with black lacqer and a single band of gold around the outer edge. Gives a little distinction to contrast with the navy colored cloth. The two掛け軸 kakejiku are written in the Gyousho, Semi-cursive style by Ryugyoku.

Dimensions of the scroll in bun (1 bun is equal to about 3.03 mm) are as follows:

天　　　　　Ten (Heaven) 160

上一文字 Ue Ichimonji (Upper Brocade) 14

紙本の幅さ Honshi no Habasa (Artwork Width) 110

紙本の長さ Honshi no Nagasa (Artwork Length) 219

柱 Hashira (Pillars) 15

下一文字 Shita Ichimonji (Lower Brocade) 9

地 Chi (Earth) 114

掛け軸の幅さ Kakejiku no Habasa (Scroll Width) 140

掛け軸の長さ Kakejiku no Nagasa (Scroll Length) 516

Kachofugetsu - Full Cursive (Sousho) Style

This Beautiful Scroll was Commissioned and is already Sold.

If you would like help to design a personalized scroll for your home, office, dojo or other need with either calligraphy or a sumi-e picture, please contact us at our e-mail or go to our webstore.

This scroll was designed with the customer at the Golden State Bonsai Federation Convention held in Riverside, California on November 5-8, 2009. The customer wanted a more subdued scroll than the Kachoufuugetsu (Flower, Bird, Wind, and Moon) 花鳥風月 scroll that I had created in my wife's Kaisho style Japanese writing. He thought the cloth, which was a goldenrod to represent the sun was a little garish. This term Kachofuugetsu is a four character idiomatic expression used in Japanese literature to depict the beauty and serenity of the natural world and evokes an apprecation and respect for nature.

As a result he picked a beautiful Cocoa shade which would remind one of very rich, fertile soil of our mother earth. He also wished to use a full cursive style. Congratulations go out for being the first customer to select Sousho, sometimes referred to as grass writing, as the preferred style of Japanese Calligraphy. In addition, this customer selected a Dark Blue Kakehimo (Hanging String) which does not make the scroll have any break in continuity when hanging. The scroll is stamped with Ryugyoku's Inkan or Hanko (Americans say Chop, but I have never like this word) on both the upper right hand corner and lower left hand corner of the scroll. Perhaps this would allow the bonsai to be displayed on either the left or the right hand side per the rules of Seki Kazari 席飾り. I would need to check with someone more knowledgeable than myself. Finally, the scroll is capped with beautiful stained wood Jikusaki. These pieces add to the scrolls elegance, and allow the colors between the cloth and the Jikusaki to transition very smoothly.

Aikido Scroll - Kaisho Japanese Calligraphy Style Writing

This scroll was commissioned and is already sold.
If you would like a scroll with the same writing in a different cloth color or different writing style, please contact us at our e-mail or visit our web store.
    
This scroll was designed and written for an Aikido practitioner outside of the United States. The cloth is in a beautiful Navy Blue. Aikido is the Martial Art developed by Morihei Ueshiba, or O-Sensei.
    
It is beautifully written in the block print style called Kaisho by my wife Yoshimi, (Ryugyoku). The Green and Gold of the Ichimonji is a soft transition in regular light, but shines when the flash of the camera was used.
    
The Hanko or Inkan (In English the word used is Chop, but I have never been fond of this word and prefer the Japanese names) is both stamped in the upper right hand side and lower left hand side of the scroll to create a balanced feel between both Hashira or pillars (Side cloth sections of the scroll).

This scroll was also ordered with a beautiful Dark and Light Blue glazed Fuchin. This will be the perfect complement to any dojo.

Ichigo Ichie - Carpe Diem

This is a Commissioned Scroll and Already Sold

The following description of this phrase is translated from Japanese and paraphrased from the book Tango Kogo Jiten published by the Japan Calligraphy Society. Ichigo Ichie is a term associated with tea ceremony, and is said to prepare the heart in meditation for an upcoming tea ceremony (Chaseki). The meaning of this phrase is "During one's life, there is only one chance to meet with another." Even though you may meet tomorrow, it is important to understand the limits of the here and now, because everyone changes from one day to the next. In other words, the moments to moments of our lives are dynamically changing and impacted by our associations.

Before the Edo period, the famous Tea Master Sen No Soutan was to meet with an official, Seigan Washou, of the Daitoku Temple. Because Washou did not come at the appointed time of the meeting, Soutan left a note saying that he would come and visit on the following day. After Washou came and saw the note, he wrote a dispatch of his own and sent a servant to deliver the following to Soutan, "My conscience has felt the negligence of my duty to you, so I feel that I can not meet with you tomorrow."

Soutan, upon receiving this message felt his own guilt on not waiting to meet Washou and hence returned the messenger to his Master in the temple with a song of apology. This story helps us all to remember that we should treasure each day in the here and now.

This beautiful scroll utilizes a dark purple cloth with multicolored cherry blossoms. The Ichimonji was selected because the deep gold color represents value, while the pattern in the ribbon does not compete with the flower pattern in the cloth. This customer also selected a beautiful Purple Kakehimo with gold flecks to complement the colors in the scroll.

If you would like a scroll designed for yourself, but do not quite know what you would like, send us an e-mail and we can design something as unique as you. sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com If you already know what you would like, visit our shop at http://www.shop.customjapanesecalligraphy.com/