Poem c. 19th century

This poem was made by Ōkubo Shibutsu, likely in the early 19th century, using ink on paper. The materials themselves are modest, but they speak to a rich tradition of calligraphy. Look closely, and you can see the pressure and speed of the brushstrokes that form the characters. This tells us something of the artist's intent. It isn't just about transcribing a text, but about performance: each character is like a gesture. It's a highly refined skill, of course, developed through years of practice. The social context here is key: calligraphy was an art of the educated elite, a mark of status as much as a form of creative expression. But beyond the cultural prestige, there's also the simple fact of the hand, the artist's physical presence made visible through the ink. That’s what really brings this poem to life for me. It is a reminder that even the most rarefied art forms are grounded in the materiality of their making.