Bequeathed verse of abbot Daie

Date1982

Label TextInoue Yuichi, renowned for his abstract calligraphy, wrote this piece toward the end of his life. As his health was declining, he studied and practiced verses bequeathed by eminent Zen monks. As a tradition, Zen monks who were also calligraphers often wrote a poem right before their death—as a final expression of their enlightenment—and would leave the calligraphy to their disciples as a way of transmitting their teaching. The poem transcribed here—by Chikotsu Daie (1229–1312), the ninth abbot of the Tofukuji temple in Kyoto—was written in an untrammeled style right before Daie’s death. Yuichi’s work is in a similar style as Daie’s calligraphy but with even bolder and more dynamic brushstrokes.

Object number2019.10

Photo CreditPhoto: Elizabeth Mann

Exhibition HistoryInoue Yuichi 28th memorial, Homyoji temple, Tokyo, Japan, 2012. Seattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Boundless: Stories of Asian Art, Feb. 8, 2020 - ongoing [on view July 16 - Dec. 5, 2021].Published ReferencesUnagami, Masaomi, Catalogue Raisonne of the Works, 1949-1985, Vol. 3, 1977-1985, Tokyo: UNAC Tokyo Co. Ltd., 1996, no. 82073

Credit LineGift of Mary and Cheney Cowles

DimensionsImage: 47 3/4 x 76 3/4 in. (121.3 x 194.9 cm) Overall: 69 1/2 x 81 3/4 in. (176.5 x 207.6 cm)

MediumInk on paper