For thousands of years, calligraphy has been part—often the focal part—of the decoration of the homes of educated people in East Asia.
If you observe the interiors of traditional Chinese houses in movies such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, you will notice that the walls are covered with scrolls of either ink painting or calligraphy.
A traditional Chinese interior.
A tokonoma (床の間) is a specially designed alcove in a room in a Japanese house for displaying a piece of calligraphy and a flower arrangement, and these are changed to match the season.
A tokonoma in a room in a Japanese house.
What is written is a reminder of something important: a piece of wisdom, a beautiful scene, a loved one, etc.
It is also a joy to observe the skill of the calligrapher in a well-executed piece of calligraphy: the lines are the record of the dance that the calligrapher’s brush was made to perform.
Moreover, the movements suggested by the lines highlight the serenity of the page on which they were written.
This is an example of 静中動、動中静 (sei-chū-dō, dō-chū-sei): “movement in quiet, quiet in movement.”
In this way, a piece of calligraphy has a marvelous effect on its viewers: simultaneously calming and energizing.
Why not add some beautiful calligraphy to your home or to the home of a friend or family member?
