Gocho Kankai | Mountain Poem
"His calligraphy is notable for its fluent power" (Stephen Addiss)
Gocho is considered a master of Zen painting and calligraphy, although he was not a Zen monk. He was born the second son of a Shin-sect priest in Kyushu but trained as a monk of the esoteric Tendai sect. Gocho became celebrated a healer and also admired as a painter and calligrapher. His image range from elaborate depictions of Buddhist deities to ink paintings in Zen style, and his calligraphy is notable for its fluent power. (Stephen Addiss: 77 Dances, Japanese Calligraphy by Poets, Monks, and Scholars, p.231.)
The moon on the edge of the mountain,
It’s been long time not seeing the sky, not seeing far.
It is like seeing a jewel over the mountain.Written by Mushotoku Dojin Gocho
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Gocho Kankai (1739-1835)
Ink on paper
25.3 x 27.2 cm (10 x 10 3/4 in.)
Mounting 113.5 x 37 cm (44 1/2 x 14 1/2 in.)
Wooden box