Beneath the Autumn Leaves (Momiji no Ga), Calligraphic Excerpt from Chapter 7 of the Tale of Genji (Genji monogatari) c. 1509 - 1510

Editor: This is a page of calligraphy, "Beneath the Autumn Leaves," an excerpt from The Tale of Genji, by Fushimi no miya Kunitaka shinnō. The brushstrokes feel so fluid, almost like water. What do you make of it? Curator: It’s funny you say that; the characters dance like leaves swirling in a stream, don’t they? Calligraphy is more than just writing; it's the artist's breath made visible, their spirit taking form. Can you see the echoes of Genji's melancholy here, the ephemeral beauty? Editor: I think so! It's like the transience of autumn captured in ink. Curator: Exactly! A reminder that even beauty is fleeting, and maybe that's what makes it so precious. I wonder, what stories would it tell if it could speak?