The Floating Bridge of Dreams (Yume no Ukihashi), Calligraphic Excerpt from Chapter 54 of the Tale of Genji (Genji monogatari) c. 1509 - 1510

Editor: This is *The Floating Bridge of Dreams,* a calligraphy excerpt from *The Tale of Genji* by Jōhōji Kōjo. It feels almost like looking at a secret language, a code of elegance. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Oh, I love that "secret language" idea! It's true. To me, it whispers of impermanence, like the bridge itself. See how the characters dance, almost float, on the aged paper? Editor: Yes, like they could blow away at any moment! Curator: Exactly! It captures the ephemeral nature of dreams, of life, as told in the *Tale of Genji*. It’s a reminder that beauty, like dreams, is fleeting. It makes you wonder what the calligrapher was dreaming of. Editor: I hadn't thought of it that way. It's like the calligraphy is a dream itself. Curator: Precisely! Art reflecting life reflecting dreams. Intriguing, isn't it?