Ninth Month c. 18th century

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drawing, textile, paper, ink-on-paper, hanging-scroll, ink

drawing

script typography

asian-art

textile

paper

form

ink-on-paper

hanging-scroll

ink

line

calligraphy

Dimensions 4 7/16 × 2 7/8 in. (11.27 × 7.3 cm) (image)38 5/8 × 14 7/16 in. (98.11 × 36.67 cm) (mount, without roller)

This is a piece of calligraphy by Gion Nankai, made in Japan probably in the first half of the 18th century using ink on paper. Nankai was a Confucian scholar and government advisor who turned to art and poetry after being exiled from his position for protesting government corruption. The text is written in a cursive script and is most likely a poem, which would have been read from top to bottom, right to left. Calligraphy was an important social practice in Japan at this time as it was seen as a reflection of the writer's character and learning. This piece would likely have been created for a specific social setting, perhaps exchanged between friends or displayed in a private home. By studying the life and times of Gion Nankai, and researching the social context in which calligraphy was produced and consumed, we can better understand the meaning and significance of this work.

Comments

minneapolisinstituteofart over 1 year ago

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His contemporaries regarded Gion Nankai as the best Chinese-style poets of his time. Nankai gradually began painting in the literati style (nanga) and became one of the most significant artists for the establishment of nanga in Japan. This is amongst Nankai’s smallest extant work of calligraphy. Its scale and tight spacing give it a quiet intimacy that invites the viewer to pause and contemplate. The brushwork is energetic and precise. The extended vertical elements of seki 節 (‘season’) and kaze 風 (‘wind’) in the center column are not merely for decorative effect; the extra space they require conveys a shift in the rhythm of the poem. 九月東籬色　清佳家是 / 黄　南陽瓊泡酒　太漱鶴 / 垂裳　節挟風霜烈　思 / 含雨露香　更起坤土質 / 千歳照金寿Ninth month: the color by the eastern hedge / Is the most pure beauty of yellow. / In the setting sun, magnificent wine foams up; / With this rich drink, I can watch cranes lower their robes. / In a season caught between wind and severe frost, / Cherishing the scent of rain and dew, / Their longevity comes from the substance of the earth— / For a thousand years, their golden petals will shine.(Trans. Stephen Addiss)