Calligraphy

In celebration of its Department of Asiatic Art's 100th anniversary, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston is exhibiting rare works of Japanese calligraphy drawn from private local collections.

Text as Image: Japanese Calligraphy from the Eighth through 19th Centuries At the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston Through January 7

Entitled Texts as Image: Japanese Calligraphy from the Eighth through 19th Centuries, the exhibit provides excellent examples of both secular and Buddhist texts, or sutras, which chronicle the impact of Chinese culture and literature on Japanese writing.

The exibit consists of three rooms containing hanging scrolls from different periods of Japanese history; of these, Heian, Kamakura, Muromachi and Tokugawa are the best represented. This allows the viewer to compare scroll work from various periods in a relaxed, informal setting.

One of the drawbacks of the show is its failure to move chronologically, making it difficult for the viewer to appreciate the developing changes in writing style and presentation of text.

This points to another major difficulty concerning the exhibit: As all the texts are written in Japanese, the beauty of the literary imagery is lost on those without a strong working knowledge of the language. However, it is still worthwhile, since the scrolls themselves are strikingly detailed and well-presented.

Many of the works deal with the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment through Buddhism, often reflecting the contrast between the serenity found within the walls of the monastery and the turmoil of the outside world. The scroll entitled "Landscape," from the 15th century, exemplifies this conflict, combining a short composition with a delicate pen-and-ink sketch of a mountainside in a long, narrow tankaku format.

Of the sutras, a handscroll of the Heian period dated 1126 stands out from the rest. The text is written in the antiquated, clerical style of script in gold upon a rich, indigo background, accompanied by a finely detailed sketch of a Boddhisattva, also in gold. Most of the other sutras are hanging scrolls of the same period in the same style but without illustrations.

There are several works which make reference to Chinese literature. "On the Theme of Snow," by Muso Soseki, one of the most important figures in Japanese culture of the Kamakura period, is styled in semi-cursive, rhythmic Chinese script; this contrasts with the classical, fourth century style of Lan-chi Taolung's composition, which uses the elegant, slender stroked characters found in the work of the Chinese author Wang Hsi-chih.

There are several relatively modern scrolls, landscapes done in water colors, by 20th century artist Tomioka Tessai; these offer the viewer an opportunity to witness the development of scroll work throughout history.

Text as Image allows one to experience the delicacy and detail of Japanese calligraphy, one of the nation's most ancient forms of art. It is not necessary to have an in-depth understanding of Japanese art history to enjoy the Museum's most recent presentation, but for those who do, the show is a must see.