Description
Antique Japanese suzuri
calligraphy stone. This
old calligraphy stone has seen much previous service and is in poor condition
with chips, scratches and a great deal of dried ink.
The stone dates from the early Japanese Showa
period (1926-1989). This age range can be inferred due to the fact the
inscribed writing was done with the katakana Japanese syllabary (one of
four Japanese writing systems). Katakana characters are normally
reserved for writing foreign words and it is unusual for a native Japanese to
write his name using katakana. However, during the 1930s and 1940s
it was a bit of a fad in Japan among young people to write their name in
katakana, and this fact along with the visual appearance of the stone lend
support to our age estimate. Please read below to learn more about Japanese calligraphy.
Size:
Height: 0.9 inches (2.2 centimeters)
Length (at longest point): 5.3 inches (13.5 centimeters)
Width (across widest point): 2.9 inches (7.5 centimeters)
Weight: 14 ounces (400 grams)
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More about Japanese Calligraphy
Good penmanship as well as talent with a writing brush were skills more
valued in the past, before typewriters, word processors and email largely
removed the visual element of style from our writing. Brush and ink were
the most common writing tools in Asia before the start of the 20th century, and
a writer's artistry was to a large extent measured as much by the beauty of the
characters he created as the meaning they were meant to communicate. The
most basic tools of calligraphy include a brush (fude in Japanese),
inkstone (suzuri), ink stick (sumi) and water dropper (suiteki).
Additional tools exist though these are the most essential. During the
late Heian period (794-1185) the standard writing box (suzuribako)
was introduced into Japan from China where it became an essential tool of
Japanese business and domestic life. Writing boxes typically contain all
of the tools listed above plus others, and in the past were produced in many
forms including simple utilitarian models for shopkeepers, elegant versions for
display in the home and even portable kits one could easily carry on their
person. Though few modern Japanese ever use a brush and ink outside a
classroom, as a culture they nevertheless continue to appreciate the beauty and
artistry of writing produced by a talented calligrapher.
More photos below!
product code: MIN-0000548 (calligmono)
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