ARTS 1303
Dr. Michael Cherry
Peer Discussion:
Brief Overview of Calligraphy in Japan and the Mideast
In the Middle East:
Islam is one of the three largest monotheistic religions of the world. It was founded in Arabia by the Prophet Muhammad in the 17th century. Thereafter it spread to much of Africa, Asia and Europe and is still rapidly expanding today.
Islamic art mostly revolves around its architecture and calligraphy than anything else as the religion itself forbade idolatry. The mosques are heavily decorated with elaborate filigree. For example the dome of the third holiest mosque in Islam located in Jerusalem is covered in gold while its walls are tiled with marble and mosaic.
More highly revered than the mosques however was the Islamic holy scripture: the Quran. Muslims took great care to turn the text into a grand work of art using the most accentuated calligraphy. Many of the calligraphers were princes and women; the most notorious being a maiden named Shuhda. The script style used was 'kufic' on vellum paper. Later the Arabs advanced to imported paper from China (later homemade). There are six styles in total – the most elaborate style called Naskhi – collected and taught by the scribe Yaqut al-Mustasim. A wonderful example would be fig 8-1 on page 302. The script is in kufi.
In Japan:
Buddhism started out, in what is now Nepal/central India, when a young prince Siddhartha went on a quest traveling the world for enlightenment later to be known as Buddha (“fully enlightened being”). Buddhism underwent many transformations as it rooted itself and re-flourished in various nations such as China, Japan, and Tibet.
In Japan it manifested as Esoteric Buddhism, Zen, and at one point Pure Land Buddhism. Pure Land Buddhism emerged in the latter half of the Heian period when there was peaking tension between the military class and the court life. People were wanting a more direct form of salvation and thus there was a decline of faith in the religion (Mappo). Pure Land Buddhism arose to put the peoples hearts at ease and cast doubt away.
Despite this revolution in spirituality secularism spread – even through art. Sophistication, elegance, and refinement became quite a trend and thus the likes of calligraphy and poetry went on quite a tangent. A five lined poem expressing human affection or love called a “tanka” tied to a fresh cut rose was usually gifted with the hopeful reward of impressing a woman. Looking at fig 11-13 on pg 397 you'll note how the calligraphy changed to suite the mood. It is jagged and free flowing all at once. The style was called Ishiyama-gire or “women's hand”. The ratio of women as opposed to men who were scribes is uncertain though they were major contributers to art of poetry in this era. However after this point in the Heian period women's disposition in society did fall.
Is it news to you that women might have been/were scribes in either culture? Would you have thought calligraphy more or less sacred in the far east?
Reference;
Stokstad, Marilyn., Art History., Vol I. Rv 2nd Ed., Pearson: Prentice Hall 2005
Image Credits:
"Ishiyama Gire":
Poems from the Iseshû
Attributed to Fujiwara Kintô(966-1041)
Heian period, 12th century
Adding your comment:
Someone once wrote my name calligraphically and it was something I love till this day. I am aware of tanka and write them too but didn't know that it was in the shape of a woman's hand in earlier times
