Information
| Title: |
桃花潭水 Tōka tansui “The waters of Peach Flower Pool” |
| Media: | Ink on paper (shikishi board) |
| Size: |
24.5 cm by 27 cm (framed/mounted size: N/A by N/A) |
| Date: | 2025 |
Description
A four-character extract from the poem 贈汪倫 (JP: Ōrin ni okuru; “Sent to Wang Lun”) by Li Bai in Northern Wei regular script (a form of kaisho).
The full original poem is as follows (Japanese reading in parentheses).
李白乗舟将欲行 （李白、舟に乗って将に行かんと欲す）
忽聞岸上踏歌声 （忽ち聞く岸上踏歌の声）
桃花潭水深千尺 （桃花潭水、深さ千尺）
不及汪倫送我情 （及ばず汪倫の我を送る情に）
Translated into English, it would be something like the following.
“When I, Li Bai, boarded a boat and departed,
I heard a voice singing and the sound of footsteps from the top of a cliff by the water’s edge.
The waters of this Peach Flower Pool are at least one thousand feet deep,
But that, Wang Lun, is not as deep as your friendship.”
The creation of this work was used as the basis for a display and a presentation, both of which were held at the University of East Anglia’s library in early 2025. This was part of a campaign organized by the university’s library called “Research in Display,” the aim of which is to give postgraduate researchers an opportunity to present some aspect of their research to the library’s users.
As my research is about the style of writing called Northern Wei regular script, I created a display to show how present-day calligraphers go from studying rubbings of inscriptions in this style to producing original works of calligraphy. My presentation was about the importance of inscriptions and other classic works (in all styles) to present-day calligraphy practice in Japan. Please see the pictures below.
I’m happy to say that I received positive feedback about both the display and the presentation. What is more, this piece of calligraphy made its way safely to its intended recipient in Japan.