A Three-Shaku Sword in the Wind Dust (風塵三尺剣) Calligraphy by Katsu Kaishu

[Iaido dude]

I recently acquired this new kakejiku of a splendid calligraphy work by Katsu Kaishū that inspires my iaido practice. I just managed to finish the translation; the translation of the last 5 characters was not indicated on the accompanying kakejiku-bako. My wife recognized the two verses that Katsu brushed verbatim from historical Chinese poetry. Then it became a simple matter of obtaining that translation. 

 

Katsu Yasuyoshi (勝 安芳; 1823-1899), born Katsu Yoshikuni (勝 義邦), best known by his nickname Katsu Kaishū (勝海舟筆), was a Japanese statesman, naval engineer and military commander during the late Tokugawa shogunate and early Meiji period. An advocate of modernization and westernization, he eventually rose to occupy the position of commissioner (Gunkan-bugyō) in the Tokugawa navy and was a chief negotiator of the bakufu. As a major Tokugawa commander during the Boshin War, he is particularly known for his bloodless surrender of Edo to Imperial forces, which was co-negotiated with his compatriot and fellow calligrapher Yamaoka Tesshu. As a calligrapher, he is particularly recognized for his highly refined cursive script with examples including a pair of 6-panel byobu screens and individual calligraphic works, being well-versed in the Chinese classics, poetry, and the martial arts.

 

In the work below, Katsu brushed two 5-character verses of "Revisiting Zhaoling" by the Tang Dynasty poet Du Fu (杜甫): "A three-shaku sword in the wind dust, a military uniform for the country" (風塵三尺剣, 社稷一戎衣). It expresses praise for the heroic role of the military in the birthing of a prosperous country, which is in keeping with the Japanese Bushido warrior culture. The imagery that Du Fu paints is of a great military leader expertly wielding a powerful sword to whip up "wind dust" (this is a very visual expression) and thereby produce the conditions of land and agriculture (i.e. "country") that founded the Tang Dynasty. There is a very masculine and martial sentiment in these verses. Du Fu's works came to be hugely influential in both Chinese and Japanese literary culture. Of his poetic writing, nearly fifteen hundred poems have been preserved over the ages. He has been called the "Poet-Historian" and the "Poet-Sage" by Chinese critics. A three-shaku (35.8 cm) sword is generally associated with the Odachi or Nodachi, a long and imposing weapon sometimes used on the battlefield (my practice katana are considered long at 2.45-2.5 shaku). They were also used in ceremonies, as symbols of status, or as offerings to deities. In Zhaoling, there is a monument to the exploits of the Tang dynasty military forces. From his childhood, Katsu learned swordsmanship from the famous teacher Otani Nobutomo. He also studied under Shimada Toranosuke, a skilled swordsman who influenced him by emphasizing Zen practice alongside kenjutsu. He studied at Ushijima Kofuku-ji temple in Tokyo. Kaishū held a license from the Jikishinkage-ryu Kenjutsu school.

 

 

 

 

[Toryu2020]

Amazing piece, well done!

[Iaido dude]

This kind of art is undervalued, especially if produced by highly prolific calligraphers such as Katsu and Yamaoka (brushed 1 million works). However, finding an especially powerful example for $150 on Jauce, as in this case, is a bit obscene. It’s not necessary to be able to read the kanji to experience the haki of such a piece. My wife was rendered speechless. 

[Steve Waszak]

Brilliant, Steven, brilliant.  A truly beautiful work.  Congratulations.  

[Iaido dude]

Thanks, Steve. It was very satisfying to walk through the detective work. And Helen enjoyed it as well. So, now I’m allowed to hang it . I am finding that 19th and 20th Zen works are more assessable to me because Chinese characters (hanzi) are often used exclusively. The cursive script of earlier works is challenging because of the intermixing of kanji and hiragana/katagana. And then there is the highly idiosyncratic style of shodo wherein lies both the artistic vitality and the opaqueness (at least to me). The translations I have seen often require a thorough familiarity with Zen “scripture” and the historical roots of Zen in Chan Buddhism. And then complete familiarity with the artist's brushwork style. 

[Steve Waszak]

Certainly sounds like a rabbit hole, but a very engaging and enjoyable one.  

[Iaido dude]

[Charlie C]

Hi Steve,

 

A nice piece! Just want to point out that the understanding and translation of the original poem are somewhat divergent from the original intention, and the explanation unfortunately mixes up Chinese and Japanese culture, even though the two have a long history of rather asymmetrical communication.

 

The original poem was written when Du Fu visited the tomb of the de facto founding father of the Tang Dynasty while the country was in turmoil. He recalled how the great emperor unified the country without excessive war and hoped the emperor's descendants could replicate their ancestor's achievement. The poem you referred to is

風塵三尺劒，社稷一戎衣

Even though the first word 風塵 can be literally explained as wind and dust, it actually means war here as a reference to Han Shu, "邊境時有風塵之警". 三尺劒 has nothing to do with 野太刀 (again, this is a Chinese poem) but just means sword. The first emperor of the Han Dynasty stated that he "提三尺取天下", hence 三尺 became a synonym for sword and a metaphor of leading military forces on one's own. 社稷 can be understood as the world as an object, and 一戎衣 though literally means 'a set of military uniform', but actually is another reference to the first emperor of the Zhou Dynasty, who "一著戎服而滅紂". So the whole sentence could be translated as "He defeated all rebellions with his own military talent, and the whole country can be at peace with minimum disturbance". Masculinity is definitely not the main point here. 覇気? Maybe, but *minimum* of haki is desired as the rex philosophus is not expected to be a warmonger in the traditional Chinese culture. Anyway, this is NOT in keeping with the Japanese 武士道 culture.

 

Best,

C. C.

 

[When Necessary]

This is one of several originals I have by Yamaoka Tesshu.
It reads 一日千里百福

"A thousand miles and a hundred blessings in one day"

However, I got it simply for the incredible dynamics of his calligraphy.

[Iaido dude]

17 hours ago, Charlie C said:

Hi Steve,

 

A nice piece! Just want to point out that the understanding and translation of the original poem are somewhat divergent from the original intention, and the explanation unfortunately mixes up Chinese and Japanese culture, even though the two have a long history of rather asymmetrical communication.

 

The original poem was written when Du Fu visited the tomb of the de facto founding father of the Tang Dynasty while the country was in turmoil. He recalled how the great emperor unified the country without excessive war and hoped the emperor's descendants could replicate their ancestor's achievement. The poem you referred to is

風塵三尺劒，社稷一戎衣

Even though the first word 風塵 can be literally explained as wind and dust, it actually means war here as a reference to Han Shu, "邊境時有風塵之警". 三尺劒 has nothing to do with 野太刀 (again, this is a Chinese poem) but just means sword. The first emperor of the Han Dynasty stated that he "提三尺取天下", hence 三尺 became a synonym for sword and a metaphor of leading military forces on one's own. 社稷 can be understood as the world as an object, and 一戎衣 though literally means 'a set of military uniform', but actually is another reference to the first emperor of the Zhou Dynasty, who "一著戎服而滅紂". So the whole sentence could be translated as "He defeated all rebellions with his own military talent, and the whole country can be at peace with minimum disturbance". Masculinity is definitely not the main point here. 覇気? Maybe, but *minimum* of haki is desired as the rex philosophus is not expected to be a warmonger in the traditional Chinese culture. Anyway, this is NOT in keeping with the Japanese 武士道 culture.

 

Best,

C. C.

 

 

Thanks so much, Charlie. Actually, my wife's interpretation was exactly that of yours, but I could not find adequate source material to substantiate. This has added another depth of understanding and appreciation for me. I will update the writeup on my personal website. I wonder how handy you are at translating hiragana. I did a recent post of a Yamaoka Tesshu painting/calligraphy for which I don't have the translation. Thanks again.

[Iaido dude]

13 hours ago, When Necessary said:

This is one of several originals I have by Yamaoka Tesshu.
It reads 一日千里百福

"A thousand miles and a hundred blessings in one day"

However, I got it simply for the incredible dynamics of his calligraphy.

 

Hi Deanna. I'm with you. The reason that I collect only Zenga is that it reflects the intensity and expression that only Zen masters can bring to bear on an art form that is part of their meditation practice. I did a post of a Yamaoka Tesshu Daruma calligraphy/painting in which I mention that their are groups who practice Shodo from Yamaoka's lineage. They use an "instruction" book he created for his wife, based on a poem, which doesn't require an understanding of cursive script. I find that I have developed a keep sense of pattern recognition for works by these masters through visual inspection of the form and style alone. After looking at hundreds of Yamaoka's work, I can spot him a mile away. Very idiosyncratic, but very consistent.

[When Necessary]

Hi Steve,

I know - you can feel the spiritual intensity in Tesshu's work!

I had no idea about the instruction book but I find it fascinating to compare his signatures before and after his enlightenment.

[Iaido dude]

Ah, yes. Good to see you have the book. His calligraphy becomes more concentrated and focused after enlightenment. Most of my pieces are dated to 1885-1887, within a few years before his death. I will do a separate post on his classic depiction of an elderly couple with poem from the famous Noh play Takasago that I just acquired (hard to find these). I think it was done close to death with a sense of his failing health. I have suffered from chronic pain for the past decade and take great comfort in how he faced physical suffering. 

 

His manuscript book for the poem Eight Immortals is found on this Rinzai Zen site and continues to be practiced by the Chosai Zen folks there. I'm hoping to do a fall keishin with them on-line to get an introduction to Shodo: https://www.choseizen.org/calligraphy