Japanese Poem by Kikaku 其角

 

This calligraphy was written by Brent Miller in 2026. It reads 猫の子のくんづほぐれつ胡蝶哉 (Neko no ko no Kunzuhoguretsu Kochou Kana). This could by translated as something like the following: 

A Kitten's 

life or death struggle

a butterfly. What!

I hope they like it.

I made the scroll in the Sandan Hyougu style. It is a very simple design to accentuate the beautiful Japanese calligraphy.

Dragon Scroll in Sandan Hyougu

This scroll was done for an artist who lives on the East coast. I love the yellow of the Ginko leaves in this painting. When making each scroll, challenges arise. In this case, when the original Hada Urauchi (first layer of backing paper) was applied to the artwork, there was a large wrinkle. So I peeled it off and started anew. Also, there was some Uki (bubbling/floating) in the Ten/Chi cloth section that I had to fix. I hope he likes the color combination. This scroll is still not complete. I still need to do the fuutai, to make a Yamato Hyougu style scroll.

Just some thoughts on the design. I wanted to use golds that would complement and not compete with the warm colors of the yellow ginko leaves. I selected a gold cloth that has a very small detailed pattern, for the chuumawashi. In the photo it looks like it is almost solid gold, but it is not. For the ten and chi portion I wanted to use a lighter tan, almost cream color Shike style cloth, to help soften the strong golds in the Ichimonji and chuumawashi. Some people have complained that they do not know the perspective in size....so I took the picture below to give you a reference of the relative size of the scroll. It is completed with a machined, lacquered wood jikusaki, and the kodai san iro hanging string.

If you have any questions about kakejiku or wallscrolls, please contact to Jonathan Maples at sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com.

Way of Logic Wallscroll

This kakejiku was commissioned as a gift. The customer wanted us to write the Way of Logic. We translated it as Ronridou. It was made in the three step style. The Red/Rose color cloths complement well with the khaki ten/chi.

It was finished with a machined rosewood jikusaki and light gold hanging string. If you would like a gift scroll made for someone, please contact to 801-214-4064 or sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com

Mountain and Boat Paintings in Kakejiku

These paintings done as a pair. It was painted by Mariusz Szmerdt for an exhibition in Spring. I had proposed to do it in a joint kind of framing similar to this kakejiku. However, the artist preferred to have this done in two separate scrolls. So I made this in a three style format. I used the light gold and white wave to be like a wind, and the chumawashi gold pattern cloth with an arabesque. The ten/chi is a light, solid tan. The hanging string or kakehimo is a light gold called Usukin. The jikusaki used were a wooden black lacquer.

Shrike for Art Exhibition

This Shrike was painted by Mariusz Szmerdt for an exhibition he plans on entering. I have titled it myself as, "In Anticipation of Spring" The bird looks chilled and the grasses are dried and withered, but there is a feeling of the spring to come in the near future.

To complement the title and feeling I had when first seeing the painting was to have the Ichimonji and Chumawashi to reflect fall with an orange and gold, while the light green Ten/Chi is the hint of spring. It is completed with a Nashichi Jikusaki and a Uguisu (Dark Green) hanging string.

Peace Calligraphy Scroll

This scroll is available for sale. It is priced at $150.00 for inquiry please contact sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com . Some may wonder, well I can buy a scroll for less on many other sites. Perhaps true, but my scrolls are made by hand and take about one entire day of labor to complete. 

This work was written on paper by Ryugyoku (Yoshimi Yamada Maples) in the Semi cursive style called Gyousho. I will also be showing this at the American Bonsai Society Convention in Saratoga Springs NY. I framed it in the three step style called Sandan Hyougu. I used some pure silks for this scroll, and that is the reason for the $150.00 price. The middle cloth costs about $100 per meter. But I really like the quality of these cloths. The kakehimo is Kodai San Iro, and the kakejiku is a Shitan (Rosewood) Enshu, which has a concave shape and a lip on the far edge. I think it turned out very beautifully.

Dimensions as follows:

Name in Kanji	Name in English	Size in Bun	Size in Inches
天	Ten	113	13.48
上中廻し	Ue Chuumawashi	30	3.58
上一文字	Ue Ichimonji	12	1.43
紙本の幅さ	Artwork Width	78	9.30
紙本の長さ	Artwork Length	105	12.53
柱	Pillars	10	1.19
下一文字	Shita Ichimonji	8	0.95
下中廻し	Shita Chuumawashi	20	2.39
地	Chi	70	8.35
掛け軸の幅さ	Scroll Width	98	11.69
掛け軸の長さ	Scroll Length	346	41.27

Bonsai Scroll with Autumn Poem

This kakejiku is done in the Three Step Style called Sandan Hyougu. It has a Gold on Green Ichimonji with a Green Ivy Arabesque Chuumawashi and a khaki Ten/Chi.

This was made for a bonsai Artist in Northern California and is already sold. If you would like a similar scroll made please contact to sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com to work with me on designing a custom scroll.

明月秋Meigetsu no Aki is a poem or phrase for Autumn. This translation from Japanese to English is completed by Jonathan Maples from page 392 of the 禅語吉語字典 Zengo Kichigo Jiten.

The general meaning is The beauty of the Autumn Moon. Because you live, you exist on the Earth. Because of that you are the master of your soul. It is through how you live that the Earth’s beauty is completed.

 This Zen Buddhist phrase is part of a larger scripture written 月は知る明月の秋、花は知る一様の春 Tsuki wa Shiru Meigetsu no Aki, Hana wa Shiru Issama no Haru. The moon is the symbol of Autumn, and the flower is the symbol of spring. Both know they are the beauty of their season. It is your living that witnesses the beauties of these seasons. 

Humans are the same. There are a diverse and many people living on the earth. Each person has their own will and individuality. Each one also has their own roles on this world. Each person reflects their beauty on this earth by carrying out their role and holding it dear in their heart. Furthermore, the fruits of this earth are gathered through the entire body of the people doing their work on this earth. 

Dimensions:

Name in Kanji	Name in English	Size in Bun	Size in Inches
天	Ten	99	11.81
上中廻し	Ue Chuumawashi	37	4.41
上一文字	Ue Ichimonji	9	1.07
紙本の幅さ	Artwork Width	38	4.53
紙本の長さ	Artwork Length	107	12.76
柱	Pillars	15	1.79
下一文字	Shita Ichimonji	7	0.84
下中廻し	Shita Chuumawashi	27	3.22
地	Chi	75	8.95
掛け軸の幅さ	Scroll Width	68	8.11
掛け軸の長さ	Scroll Length	352	41.99

Fierce Grace & Dream Chaser

 

 These scrolls were made as companion pieces. They are beautiful, done is a Sandan Hyougu (三段表具）style with some good contrasting elements for a very soothing feel. They are both written in a semi-cursive style, but the second was translated by Yoshimi. The first character is fierceness 猛（もう）or mou can be greatly energetic, fierce or ferocious and 優美（ゆうび）or yuubi can be read as grace or refinement. Fierce Grace.

The Ichimonji is a white on gold, and the purple Chuumawashi cloth has a simple pattern. The Bone colored cloth is a strong contrast with the purple and the Deep Brown stained wood jikusaki. The kakejiku is finished with the Takuboku hanging string.

Dimensions as Follows:

Name in Kanji Name in English Size in Bun (Inches)


天 Ten 132 (15.75)

上中廻し Ue Chuumawashi 49 (5.85)

上一文字 Ue Ichimonji 7 (0.84)

紙本の幅さ Artwork Width 41 (4.89)

紙本の長さ Artwork Length 128 (15.27)

柱 Pillars 10 (1.19)

下一文字 Shita Ichimonji 4 (0.48)

下中廻し Shita Chuumawashi 38 (4.53)

地 Chi 63 (7.52)

掛け軸の幅さ Scroll Width 61 (7.28)

掛け軸の長さ Scroll Length 414 (49.39)