Masterpieces from the Naritasan Museum of Calligraphy
— Complete with Box Inscriptions, Certificates, and Other Rarely Displayed Contextual Items

 

Works of calligraphy passed down though generations rarely come on their own. Regardless of the type of mounting, pieces are oftentimes stored in wooden or cardboard boxes, which usually feature inscriptions, labels, or pasted slips describing the piece inside. Inside the box, you may also find certificates of authenticity, inscriptions, letters of correspondence, transcriptions, descriptions and other explanatory notes. Framed pieces often include exhibition labels or stickers on the back.

These accompanying items contain a wealth of information that one would otherwise be unable to infer from just the piece alone, offering insight into its creation, value, provenance, exhibition history, and the devotion of past collectors. However, these pieces of additional information are typically only seen by the owners of these pieces or art handlers. There is rarely an opportunity for the public to access this background information.

This exhibition turns the spotlight on these usually unseen contextual materials, spanning works from the Tempyo period (8th century) to the modern era. We hope these supplementary items serve as clues, inviting you to imagine the stories and history behind each piece as you view it.

Modern calligraphy is currently on display in the Best of the Collection Exhibition on the 1st floor.

This exhibition focuses primarily on the accompanying information and accessories of the works, rather than the pieces themselves.

１

Bokudō Yonjūyonenkan Kantoku　木堂四十餘年間簡牘　

INUKAI Bokudō（1855-1932）犬養木堂

Sometimes, the artist who created the piece writes the title, their signature, or seal directly on the front of the wooden box or on the back of its lid. This original box that accompanies the piece is known as tomobako, and acts as proof of authentication by the artist. At other times, an expert, a disciple, or someone affiliated with the artist writes on the box to confirm its authenticity or describe the piece. This is known as shikibako. This word refers to authentication by an expert, rather than the original artist themselves. Boxes like these serve as protective storage with built-in certification, naturally enhancing the value of the piece.

The inside of the box lid for this particular work has two distinct inscriptions are written. It appears that the recipient of the letters requested Bokudō to write an inscription on the box.

The first inscription conveys that while inclusion of a tomobako is a proper custom by top-tier masters, it is also mimicked by less competent practitioners trying to artificially inflate the value of their works. He further notes that he was asked to “write something on the box.” In response, Bokudō decided to write this very text declaring that “authenticating boxes is a vulgar practice”—a comment rich in humor and irony.

The second inscription touches upon Bokudō’s relationship with the recipient of these letters.

Together with the tomobako, this work conveys the attitude of Bokudō at the age of 75 in his later years, immersed in nostalgia and feelings toward an old friend against the backdrop of the war at that time.

 

２

Rin Chō Kinkaidō Jōshinbon Ranteijo　臨張金界奴上進本蘭亭叙

－Copy of the Zhang Jinkaidu Version of the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Collection

AKABA Untei（1912-1975）赤羽雲庭

This piece was created in 1948. On the outside of the box lid, the artist wrote the title of the work, and on the inside, inscribed: “In 1948, I decided to copy the Ranteijo (Preface to the Orchid Pavilion) every day. Within half a year, I had produced over fifty pieces. This is one of them.” He also noted that it had been displayed in a solo exhibition.

Furthermore, the red vermilion seal originally printed on the paper reveals that it is an extraordinarily rare, top-quality paper made in 1775—the peak of the Qing dynasty—at a workshop dedicated for the imperial family.

Before the war, the artist, Untei, intensely studied the calligraphy of Wang Xizhi as the core foundation of calligraphic art, under the influence of his master. In the new postwar era, a wide variety of expressions developed in Japan; however, his repeated full-length copying of the Ranteijo—considered to be an essential classic—strikingly illustrates his fundamental attitude toward the art of calligraphy.

 

３

Heart Sutra (1725)　般若心経

KONOE lehiro（1667-1736）近衞家熈

In 1725, the Iehiro entered the Buddhist priesthood and received his Dharma name. Two days later was the anniversary of his mother’s death, and he transcribed this “Heart Sutra” for that occasion. Throughout his life, he frequently copied the Heart Sutra on various occasions.

While the Heart Sutra is generally associated with neatly aligned Chinese characters (kanji), this piece features a distinct traditional Japanese calligraphic style. The inscription on the wooden box confirms the names of Oguchi Shūgyo (1864–1920) and Okayama Takakage (1866–1945), both of whom were prominent figures in the Imperial Poetry Bureau, an office under the Imperial Household Ministry—now the Imperial Household Agency—responsible for royal poetry gatherings and submissions from the Meiji era through the pre-WWII period.

The reprodution stored alongside the original inside the box was created in 1911—the year Oguchi Shūgyo, who had lost his father at a young age, acquired this masterpiece. He had also lost his mother four years prior to this acquisition. The creation of this reproduction seems to reflect his deep sense of reverence and affection.

In both the original piece and its reproduction, one can strongly feel the deep devotion and love both men held for their late parents.

 

４

Record of Monk Fang Engraving Sutras on Stone (Hōhōshi Rōseki Hankeiki) (560)　方法師鏤石班経記　

Tajika Kenzō 田近憲三 (1903–1989) was an art critic renowned for his incisive writing on calligraphy, as well as for being an esteemed collector of Chinese rubbings (hijō). Many pieces from his collection are widely published as essential study resources for classic calligraphy. Our museum holds approximately 900 rubbings that belonged to him, 174 of which were bound by Tajika himself.

His process involved acquiring a piece, studying it thoroughly, drafting a plan for re-binding, and creating a detailed blueprint. This particular rubbing is in severely damaged condition, missing both its front and back covers. Although he never ultimately brought it to the re-binding stage, this work allows us to compare the item in its raw, acquired state alongside his handwritten design plan.

At the beginning, Tajika calculated reducing the text layout from its original roughly seven characters per line down to five. It reveals his plan to arrange four lines per two-page spread—that is, two lines per page. Using colorful ballpoint pens, he carefully noted intricate details, including margins for the top, bottom, left, and right.

Because Tajika seems to have discarded his blueprints once a binding was completed, finished pieces do not include these plans. Such elaborate preparation speaks volumes about his deep affection for these works.

About Takuhon Books and Hi Monuments

In classical calligraphy, there are pieces that were written on paper, fabric, wood, and bamboo, as well as pieces that were carved into stone monuments, wood, and even metal. These works were used as the basis for learning and practicing calligraphy, and they would be copied onto paper using an ink rubbing technique. Those rubbings are called takuhon. Some takuhon would also be bound into books, called jō, that are easier to use for learning.

Japanese sho (calligraphy) experienced remarkable changes during the modern era when calligraphers were able to obtain highly accurate original calligraphy texts from China, the motherland of calligraphy.

 

５

Kojikishi 小色紙

Attributed to SAIGYO （1118-1190）伝西行　　

The box inscription (hakogaki) was done by the former owner, Matsuzaki Chūsei (b. 1934). The front of the lid bears the title of the work and the name of its author, while the back records the date (around the late spring of 1997) and the writer’s name.

In the past, there were specialists in the appraisal of ancient calligraphy (kohitsu), and multiple certificates of appraisal have been passed down with this piece. These serve as clues to understanding who conducted the appraisals, what kind of judgments were made, and the work’s provenance.

Furthermore, a slip of paper handed down alongside the kiwamefuda (appraisal slip) illustrates how carefully this work has been cherished and passed down through generations:

“In March 1834, upon the request of Master Ryōhan, I examined this piece and confirmed that words of praise—appraisals and commendations for the title and author’s name noted on a separate sheet—were recorded, and I received it.”

In addition to these certificates, this hanging scroll also contains a catalog from an exhibition held in Nagoya in 1925. Thanks to these accompanying items, the history of ownership for this work up to the present day is clearly recorded.

 

６

Ishiyama-gire: Ise Shū  (Heian period)  石山切伊勢集

Attributed to FUJIWARA Kinto（966-1041）伝藤原公任

Ishiyama-gire refers to surviving pieces from a masterwork of Heian-period Japanese calligraphy (kana), which was disassembled from its original state. Celebrated for the seamless harmony between its exquisite decorated paper (sōshoku ryōshi) and highly refined calligraphic technique, it remains a widely popular study model even today.

Originally bound in a booklet format, this piece has been remounted as a hanging scroll. To avoid putting stress on the fragile paper, it is rolled around a thick core cylinder and stored inside a protective double wooden box.

Masuda Don’ō (real name: MASUDA Takashi, 1848–1938) was involved in the dispersal of the original manuscripts and authored the writing on the box. While leading Japan’s modern economy as a top executive of the Mitsui conglomerate, he was also a prominent collector of calligraphy, fine art, and tea utensils.

 

７

Ōta-gire (Heian period) 太田切

Attributed to FUJIWARA Kintō (966–1041) 伝藤原公任　

This fragment immediately follows the portion preserved as a National Treasure at the Seikado Bunko Art Museum. Precious ancient calligraphy (kohitsu) has often been divided and dispersed into various collections over time.

Accompanying this hanging scroll is a letter from Komatsu Shigemi (1925–2010)—a giant of modern kohitsu studies who laid the foundations for contemporary calligraphy and Japanese art history through vast documentary research. The letter expresses his gratitude after taking photographs of this work.

According to his letter, this piece was originally mounted on a small folding album, tekagami,  before being remounted as a hanging scroll. Komatsu writes, “I do not want to miss even a single leaf until the very end,” revealing his passionate dedication to investigating and comprehensively documenting countless works of ancient calligraphy. Letters of appreciation from when this piece was exhibited at the Tokyo National Museum and other masterwork exhibitions have also been preserved. The box features an inscription (hakogaki) by Iijima Shunkei (1906–1996), a leading calligrapher and kohitsu scholar of the Shōwa period.

 

８

Tekagami Album of Ancient Calligraphy: Hama-chidori　古筆手鑑『濱千鳥』

This tekagami (an album containing collected fragments of famous calligraphy) was acquired by Matsuzaki Shunsen (1895–1981) after more than ten years of raising funds.

Shunsen expressed his profound joy in acquiring this work by composing three poems. The poems express his feelings of overflowing with delight at obtaining it. In an accompanying note, he wrote: “This must be treasured as a family heirloom for generations to come.”

The album was cherished across two generations, passing to his son, Matsuzaki Chūsei (1925–2021). Over time, its appearance gradually evolved as new fragments were mounted onto blank spaces, newly acquired works were added, and existing pieces were rearranged.

 

９

Tekagami Album of Ancient Sutra Fragments: Hodaka 古写経手鑑『穂高』

This tekagami was created by Matsuzaki Chūsei (1925–2021) in recent times on the occasion of its donation to our museum. The complete set comprises two volumes (upper and lower), a six-tiered nesting box, and an outer chest.

On the back of the fragments pasted onto the front pages, authentication slips written by Matsuzaki Chūsei are affixed to correspond with them. The paper used for mounting is decorative paper (ryōshi) crafted in the workshop of Tanaka Shinbi (1875–1975), a renowned expert on ancient calligraphy who had close ties to the family.

The blue covers featuring a phoenix bird motif refer to Seichōkyo (“Blue Bird Residence”), the name of Matsuzaki Chūsei’s estate, where he cherished his collection. The other covers are dyed in shades ranging from yellow to yellowish-green. The metal fittings feature a pine tree design, which alludes to the “Matsu” in his surname Matsuzaki, as well as the name of the location of the estate, Higashimatsuyama,” and the large pine tree standing at the entrance of the property.

The title Hodaka is named after Mount Hodaka, which Matsuzaki Chūsei loved dearly. This collection is exquisitely bound, reflecting the profound affection of the Matsuzaki family across three generations woven into every detail.

 

10

Five Haiku on the Early Summer Rain (1901) 五月雨五句

MASAOKA Shiki（1867-1902）正岡子規

The outer storage box is made of paulownia wood. The front of its lid bears the artist’s name and title, while the back lists the names of its four successive owners.

The inner storage consists of two paulownia wood boxes of different lengths. The longer box houses the piece itself, featuring a box inscription (hakogaki) by Takahama Kyoshi (1874–1959), a disciple of Masaoka Shiki. The front of the lid displays the artist and title, while the back records that Kyoshi made the inscription in 1950 at the request of Ikeda Ryuichi (1890–1969), who was a physician and a tanka poet.

The shorter box contains a handscroll of a collection of letters written by Nagatsuka Takashi (1879–1915)—also a disciple of Shiki—and the younger brother of Monma Haruo (1881–1936), who studied under both Takashi and Saitō Mokichi. The box inscription was written by Ikeda Ryuichi, suggesting that the current box configuration was arranged by Ikeda himself.

These letters reveal that when economic hardship forced an earlier owner to part with the work during its lineage of transmission, Shiki’s disciples consulted one another about its fate. Thus, the letters themselves articulate the detailed story behind the movement of this artwork.

Composed by Shiki from his sickbed during the year before his death, these five verses on the early summer rain convey just how deeply meaningful it was for his disciples to possess the actual handwriting of their master.

 

11

Sutra Commissioned by Empress Kōmyō (May 1st Sutra) (740)  光明皇后発願五月一日経

A sacred sutra commissioned and transcribed at the behest of Empress Kōmyō to pray for the repose of her late parents’ souls and for other blessings. At the time of its donation, the scroll suffered from severe insect damage and flaking. In 2019, restoration was entrusted to Handa Kyūseidō, a specialized studio renowned for the preservation of National Treasures and other cultural properties.

The work is currently housed on newly manufactured neutral paper alongside a conservation report, with the newly made box (right) and the original old box (left) displayed side-by-side. The new box houses the fully restored handscroll, while the old box on the left contains the original covers and wooden roller ends removed during the restoration process.

This preservation format was chosen not only to prevent the materials removed during restoration from being scattered or lost, but also to preserve the appearance and historical data of the original box, ensuring that the legacy of its transmission history is never erased. Such records will serve as invaluable reference materials for any future restoration work.

 

12

Manyōshū (1948) 万葉集

SUZUKI Suiken (1889–1976) 鈴木翠軒

This piece was long held in the collection of Takeshi Sōfū (1913–2008), an avant-garde calligrapher active in the postwar era. Upon donating it to our museum, Sōfū had the piece mounted as a hanging scroll and inscribed a wooden box for it. The back of the box lid details the circumstances surrounding the creation of this artwork.

In 1947, shortly after the end of World War II, this piece came into being over drinks following a meeting of a newly formed postwar calligraphy organization. Using Japanese sake instead of water to grind the solid ink stick, Suiken powerfully wielded his brush while singing.

Suiken’s dynamic and unrestrained brushwork is on full display in this piece. Together, the calligraphy and the box inscription convey the exhilaration and electric atmosphere of that post-meeting gathering, reflecting the vibrant energy of the immediate postwar era.

The text of the work is Poem No. 1088 from the Manyōshū:

“As the sound of the mountain river’s rapids resounds ever louder, the clouds surrounding the mountain expand into the heavens”

 

13

“A Dull Sword Cannot Cut Through Bone” (Dontō Hone o Kiritorazu) (1913) 鈍刀不截骨

NAKABAYASHI Gochiku（1827-1913）中林梧竹

The inscription on the wooden box indicates that this work was formerly in the collection of Saitō Mokichi (1882–1953), a master of modern tanka poetry who perfected the shasei (sketching from life) approach. Mokichi held deep admiration for the calligraphic works of Nakabayashi Gochiku (1827–1913), one of the “Three Great Brushes of the Meiji Era.”

Before entering the museum collection, this piece was owned by Matsui Joryū (1900–1988), a calligrapher and tanka poet. Hashida Tōsei (1886–1930), who founded the tanka magazine that Joryū later edited, had also been active in the tanka journal associated with Saitō Mokichi. Possessing this piece once owned by Mokichi surely held profound significance for Joryū, both as a poet and as a calligrapher.

This piece was done by Nakabayashi Gochiku just one month before his passing.

 

14

Poem by Wang Majie (China: Late Ming to Early Qing dynasty) 王摩詰詩

Wang Duo (1592–1652) 王鐸

This work features a poem by Wang Majie (Wang Wei) written on kuang (glossy silk fabric) woven with a plum-blossom pattern.

The box inscription was written by Matsui Joryū (1900–1988) at the request of the former owner, Itō Shōri (1902–1984). Preserved inside the paulownia box is a letter dated 1955 addressed to Itō Shōri. Both calligraphers were disciples of Yoshida Hōchiku (1890–1940).

Our museum came into possession of this letter, which reveals the provenance of the work. The letter reports that leading authorities Nishikawa Yasushi (1902–1989) and Matsui Joryū both agreed in their authentication that “this is a fine masterpiece by Wang Duo.” At the time, Nishikawa and Matsui were prominent figures leading calligraphic studies in Japan, each editing and publishing calligraphic journals.

Through exchanges such as this, the work eventually became widely known to the public. It also reflects the rising appreciation of Wang Duo’s calligraphy in the 20th century.

 

15

Desolate Winds and Dust (Fūaisan) (1959) 風埃惨

AKABA Untei（1912-1975）赤羽雲庭

A phrase describing a scene where winds and dust sweep wildly across a bleak and desolate landscape.

An English label is affixed to the back of the frame. Below the exhibition title—”Special Display of Japanese Calligraphy at Sao Paulo”. It lists the work’s number, artist name, title, dimensions, estimated value, and owner. This piece is believed to have been displayed as part of a special exhibition held in conjunction with the 1961 São Paulo Art Biennial. The label indicates an estimated value of 280 USD, listed as not for sale, describing it as part of the artist’s personal collection. This provides valuable insight into the reality of overseas exhibitions from that period, which has remained largely unknown until now.

 

16

Haru no Sono (1969) 春のその

IKEUCHI Sōshū（1914-1993）池内艸舟

An entry label for the Nitten (Japan Fine Arts Exhibition) is affixed to the back of the frame, with the division, submission number, title, and artist’s name handwritten in pen. To the left of this label, the artist added a transcript of the calligraphic text along with its source.

Although such labels are frequently written by the artists themselves, they are often not preserved with the same care as wooden box inscriptions or authentication certificates. While they are easily lost over time, these labels serve as an irreplaceable source of information—just like any other historical record—offering valuable insights into the exhibition and framing circumstances of the artwork.