“Bluish-Green Fish Scales” mid-17th century Kano Tan'y? Tan’y? is best known as the heir to the mantle of the Kano school of painters in the early seventeenth to mid-seventeenth century, so it comes as a surprise to see a boldly inscribed pair of oversize Chinese characters signed with his art name. Yet several works by the famous artist survive written in the so-called Daishi-ry? style of calligraphy, named after the monk K?b? Daishi, the founder of Shingon sect of Buddhism in Japan. K?b? Daishi is said to have sometimes practiced a highly exuberant and expressive form of calligraphy, which b

“Bluish-Green Fish Scales” mid-17th century Kano Tan'y? Tan’y? is best known as the heir to the mantle of the Kano school of painters in the early seventeenth to mid-seventeenth century, so it comes as a surprise to see a boldly inscribed pair of oversize Chinese characters signed with his art name. Yet several works by the famous artist survive written in the so-called Daishi-ry? style of calligraphy, named after the monk K?b? Daishi, the founder of Shingon sect of Buddhism in Japan. K?b? Daishi is said to have sometimes practiced a highly exuberant and expressive form of calligraphy, which became immensely popular among Zen monks and literati in the Edo period. Here the two characters read “Hekirin,” literally, the “bluish-green scales” of a fish such as bonito tuna. In this case, however, it may be drawn from a verse of the Song poet Su Shi who wrote a poem (Huái shàng z?o f?????) likening the rippling of waves on West Lake to luminescent bluish-green fish “Bluish-Green Fish Scales”. Kano Tan'y? (Japanese, 1602–1674). Japan. mid-17th century. Hanging scroll; ink on paper. Edo period (1615–1868). Calligraphy

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