Snow, Moon, and Flowers Kakejiku Hanging Scroll

Three characters run right to left across this kakejiku hanging scroll in light, flowing calligraphy: “snow, moon, flowers.” Together, they represent the elegant scenery of the shifting seasons. An original work of calligraphy by artist Ando Tokunaga, the three characters sit with poise atop the textured washi paper, balanced yet supple and dynamic. Flecks of gold leaf are scattered across the surface, adding touches of shine to the earthy colors of the washi. Because Ando paints each scroll by hand, the fall of these three characters is never quite the same twice. No two carry the same movement of the brush. Each preserves the trace of the artist’s hand at a particular instant in time. Ando Tokunaga is a contemporary calligraphy artist, born in 1963 in Gifu Prefecture. Also based in Gifu Prefecture, Ando is a graduate of the Nippon Shodo Senmon Gakko, or Japan Calligraphy Technical Institute.