ETSUZAN Dôshû
(1629–1709)
- Title
- Calligraphy couplet
- Other titles:
- Calligraphy
- Place of origin
-
Japan
- Year
- 17th century
- Media category
- Calligraphy
- Materials used
- pair of hanging scrolls; ink on paper
- Dimensions
-
136.5 x 30.4cm image; 207.0 x 33.5 x 38.8cm scroll (height x width x rod):
a - Part a - right; 207 x 33.5 x 38.8cm; height x width x rod
b - Part b - left; 207 x 33.5 x 38.8cm; height x width x rod
- Signature & date
- a. Signed 'Nangaku Etsuzan' c.r. and two artist's seals l.r., one artist's seal u.l. b. Signed 'Nangaku Etsuzan' c.l. and two artist's seals l.l., one artist's seal u.r.
- Credit
- Gift of Klaus Naumann 2003
- Accession number
- 42.2003.a-b
- Location
- Lower Asian gallery
- Further information
ETSUZAN Dôshû was the seventh abbot of Manpuku-ji, the temple of the Chinese Ôbaku sect of Zen Buddhism. He was born in China, travelled to Japan and trained at the temple, to become its seventh abbot.
Manpuku-ji was built to house the Ôbaku priests (led by Yinyuan Longqi) who had emigrated to Japan after the fall of the Ming dynasty in 1644 and the establishment of the Manchurian Qing dynasty (1644-1912). Built in a Chinese style, the temple functioned as a visible symbol of Chinese arts with its architecture, sculpture and painting (See Mason 1993: 249).
Asian Art Department, AGNSW, 2003.
The calligraphy reads: 'The cloud of the [Buddhist] Law reaches the pinnacle' (right) and 'Buddhist wisdom lights the world' (left).
Excerpt from The Asian Collections, AGNSW, 2003, pg.194.
- Bibliography (1)
-
'The art of Buddhism and other worlds', The Asian Collections Art Gallery of New South Wales 2003, 2003, 194 (colour illus.).
