Tips for Buying Japanese Art and Finding Legitimate Shodo Teachers
Japanese calligraphy and sumi-e (“ink painting”) has an extremely long history in Japan. Over the centuries scores of artists have risen to exalted and well-known status in this country; and in recent years, a handful of artists living outside of Japan have achieved similar standing in shodo and/or sumi-e. Unfortunately, not everyone outside of Japan is well informed as to the nature of buying and collecting Japanese calligraphic art. And as you might expect in the 21st century, the slogan, “Buyer beware,” is not inappropriate.
Here are a few tips for people interested in buying and/or commissioning Japanese calligraphy and sumi-e. A number of these suggestions can also be modified for use if you’re looking for a legitimate teacher of Japanese art.
· While this may be obvious, don’t assume everyone that’s fluent in Japanese has skill in shodo, simply because they can write Japanese characters. For example, while most Japanese people can write with a pen, the majority of the people in Japan are not trained to use a shodo brush.
· Unfortunately, it isn’t uncommon for some untrained people, who are fluent in Japanese, to pick up a brush and paper, write something down, frame it, and sell it as a “work of shodo art.” The same phenomenon can be seen among individuals that stick a shrub in a bonsai pot, trim it a bit, and sell it as a “bonsai masterpiece.” Not everybody selling Asian art is skilled in Asian art, and collectors should get information about an artist’s credentials.
· Qualifications in one Japanese art do not inevitably correlate with another Japanese art. While a person may have excellent credentials in Zen, martial arts, or some other discipline, this doesn’t inevitably mean that they’re capable of producing good calligraphy. While it’s true that if we go deeply into any Japanese art form, we’ll discover principles that relate to other Japanese arts as well, this doesn’t equal training in a different skill. With some notable exceptions, most capable shodo artists have years of shodo specific training. The same is true for other Japanese artistic disciplines.
· Be leery of Japanese calligraphy, or any Japanese fine art, which is for sale too cheaply. Bona fide artists spend large chunks of their lives studying their craft, and if they have good credentials, they’ll rarely sell original artwork for $19.95.
· While it’s exciting to collect the calligraphy of famed artists like Yamaoka Tesshu, realize that fakes exist. While Yamaoka Tesshu’s work seems to have perhaps more fakes than others, he isn’t the only artist to have his signature forged onto inferior copies and “inspired by” pieces. And this isn’t a recent phenomenon in Japan. It’s been going on for hundreds of years.
· A seal, or “chop,” should be present on any valid piece of artwork. Known as an inkan, this seal is essential, and it is always placed on a work that the artist is satisfied with. Works without a signature are fine as long as the inkan is present. Works with a signature, and no inkan, indicate that the artist didn’t deem the piece worthy to “sign off on.” And no signature and no inkan is a really bad sign. In short, all legitimate traditional Japanese calligraphy or paintings should have the artist’s name seal.
· The fact that a piece of art has been in an exhibition in Japan is no guarantee of profound skill. Smaller exhibitions exist, and acceptance is sometimes easily accomplished. If the artwork you’re contemplating buying received an award, this is a better indicator of quality. But the artist should possess an award certificate and/or a trophy of some kind. The award will also often have a name such as Kokusai Shodo Tokubetsu Sho. Try to obtain proof of the award, obtain the characters for the name of the award, and find out what they mean. If this isn’t possible, don’t pay extra for a piece of “award winning calligraphy.”
· Endeavor to discover the training background of the artist and/or teacher. All Japanese art places high value on lineage. If the artist is unable or unwilling to provide this lineage, something may be wrong.
· How long did the artist study, how did the study take place, and who was the teacher? These are questions that a legitimate instructor or shodo artist should be able to answer. There’s frequently a difference between art produced by someone that studied for decades, every week, directly under a well-known teacher vs. the art of a person that studied for a couple years via a correspondence course.
· Japanese art often has ranks and degrees, somewhat like the martial arts. Top-notch artists will often have high ranks and/or teaching credentials. Find out what they are.
· Try to enlist the help of a person knowledgeable about Japanese art, or at least a friend that can read Japanese, before you buy a work of art or began to study with a teacher. They may be able to help you read the characters on awards and teaching certificates, and help you look for the correct artist’s signature and seal on a piece of art.
· Buy books suggested on the Art of Shodo Blog to learn about Japanese culture. It will help in ways that are often difficult to predict.
