This exuberantly brushed calligraphy embodies the energy of the cursive script of Jifei Ruyi, one of the three celebrated Ōbaku masters of calligraphy (Ōbaku no sanpitsu). It represents a combination of firm control and swift execution, as evidenced by the lingering presence of “flying white,” where a somewhat dry brush splits so the strokes show individual hairs. Even with the brisk motion of the brush, the characters maintain legibility in a well-structured layout, achieving a uniform and bold thickness throughout the composition. The result is a written phrase with a strong visual presence.
慈愛見婆心
The nurturing love of the heart of an elderly woman [Mazu] is revealed.
Trans. by Tim T. Zhang
This calligraphy describes the compassion of a specific deity: Mazu is a maritime goddess whose cult originated in Fujian during the Song dynasty. She has been revered as a manifestation of Kannon, the bodhisattva of infinite compassion, as well as a guardian of sailors and fishermen. Her worship later spread along China’s coasts and communities in East and Southeast Asia, reaching Japan during the Edo period. It also appears on the left panel of a pair of carved wooden plaques that adorn the entrance of a hall dedicated to the worship of Mazu in Sōfukuji, one of the first temples established through the patronage of Chinese maritime merchants in Nagasaki. Further research is required to determine whether this scroll served as the model for the carved panel or whether it is a subsequent version.
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Dimensions:Image: 47 13/16 × 13 7/8 in. (121.4 × 35.3 cm) Overall with mounting: 77 9/16 × 23 3/8 in. (197 × 59.3 cm)
Classification:Calligraphy
Credit Line:Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection, Gift of Mary and Cheney Cowles, 2024
Object Number:2024.412.10
This exuberantly brushed calligraphy embodies the energy of the cursive script of Jifei Ruyi, one of the three celebrated Ōbaku masters of calligraphy (Ōbaku no sanpitsu). It represents a combination of firm control and swift execution, as evidenced by the lingering presence of “flying white,” where a somewhat dry brush splits so the strokes show individual hairs. Even with the brisk motion of the brush, the characters maintain legibility in a well-structured layout, achieving a uniform and bold thick- ness throughout the composition. the result is a written phrase with a strong visual presence. This calligraphy also appears on the left panel of a pair of carved wooden plaques that adorn the entrance of a hall dedicated to the worship of Mazu in Sōfukuji, one of the first temples established through the patronage of Chinese maritime merchants in Nagasaki.
慈愛見婆心
The nurturing love of the heart of an elderly woman [Mazu] is revealed.
In Zen parlance, the term 婆心 (bashin; “the heart of an elderly woman”) is commonly invoked to describe a gentle pedagogical approach to young monks. Here, we know that the phrase describes the compassion of a specific deity: Mazu is a maritime goddess whose cult originated in Fujian during the Song dynasty. She has been revered as a manifestation of Kannon, the bodhisattva of infinite compassion, as well as a guardian of sailors and fishermen. Her worship later spread along China’s coasts and communities in East and Southeast Asia, reaching Japan during the Edo period.
This calligraphy also appears on the left panel of a pair of carved wooden plaques that adorn the entrance of a hall dedicated to the worship of Mazu in Sōfukuji, one of the first temples established through the patronage of Chinese maritime merchants in Nagasaki. The elaborate Mazu halls in Sōfukuji and Kōfukuji, both of which still stand today, reveal the key importance of this deity––protector of ships and sailors on their travels to and from China––to the early formation of the Ōbaku presence in Japan. Although weathered and lacking the details of the original ink brushstrokes, the wooden plaques are clearly based on this calligraphy and preserve the shapes of Jifei’s bold characters. Further research is required to determine whether this scroll served as the model for the carved panel or whether it is a subsequent version, but the right-hand plaque at Sōfukuji allows us to know the first half of the original couplet:
揚帆登宝所
Hoisting our sails to reach the Pure Land.[1]
Jifei was closely linked to Sōfukuji. He began his studies at Wanfusi in China under the tutelage of Feiyin Tongrong (cats. 60 [2019.420.16], 61 [2021.398.16]) and Yinyuan Longqi (cats. 63 [2023.583.11], 64 [2024.412.9a–c], 68 [2024.412.8], 69 [2018.853.21]). A year after arriving in Japan in 1657, he became the abbot of Sōfukuji and supervised renovations to the hall dedicated to Mazu. In 1685, following a yearlong visit to Manpukuji, Jifei bid farewell to his mentor Yinyuan and his peers with the intention of returning to China. on his return journey, Jifei was invited by the feudal lord Ogasawara Tadazane (1596–1667) to establish Fukujūji in present-day Fukuoka. In 1668 he came back to Sōfukuji, where he spent the remainder of his life without returning to China as planned.[2]
Jifei’s signature on the present work dates it to the last six years of his life. He signs himself “Sokuhi of Kōju.” Kōjū is the mountain name of Fukujūji, and Jifei continued to use this name even after he returned to Sōfukuji. One of his seals on the scroll reads: Seppō Zuda. Seppō refers to Xuefeng Temple in Fujian, where he had been abbot, and zuda (Sanskrit: dhūta) refers to a monk engaged in ascetic practices.[3] Plaques bearing calligraphy from monks and patrons are a vital part of the architecture and religious practices of Ōbaku temples. They convey spiritual messages that facilitate an understanding of the spaces they adorn while showcasing calligraphies that were inspired by the styles of late Ming masters. Constantly on display, they offered a visual experience imbued with Chinese aesthetic traditions to temple visitors of the Edo period. the famous poet-writer-calligrapher Ōta Nanpō (1749–1823), for example, carefully observed and recorded the plaques at Sōfukuji among the paintings and calligraphies he saw during a visit in 1804, as documented in his volume Essays on Nagasaki Harbor (Keihō zattetsu).[4]
[John T. Carpenter, with Tim T. Zhang, The Three Perfections (2025), cat. 66., pp. 190–91, adapted 9/23/2025]
Notes [1] Translations by Tim T. Zhang. For an illustration of the surviving plaques, see Miyata 1975, p. 358. Other plaques at Sōfukuji are based on calligraphies by lay patrons that articulate Mazu’s efficacy and offer prayers and gratitude for her blessings. For more on these plaques and an extensive study of Sōfukuji, including the Mazu Hall, see Miyata 1975; for a discussion of plaques at Manpukuji, see Ōbakusan Manpukuji Bunkaden 2022.
[2] See Miyata 1975, pp. 59–87; Ōtsuki, Katō, and Hayashi 1988, pp. 190–91.
[3] Special thanks to Paul Berry for pointing out the significance of this seal; email communication with Paul Berry, December 23, 2023. Also see Miyata 1975, p. 62; Ōtsuki, Katō, and Hayashi 1988, p. 190.
[4] For the original text by Ōta Nanpo, see Hamada 1985–90, vol. 8 (1986), p. 529.
Bibliography
Hamada 1985–90. Ōta Nanpo. Ōta Nanpo zenshū (Complete works of Ōta Nanpo), edited by Hamada Giichirō. 20 vols. Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, 1985–90.
Miyata 1975. Miyata Yasushi. Nagasaki Sōfukuji ronkō (Studies on Sōfukuji Monastery in Nagasaki). Nagasaki: Nagasaki Bunkensha, 1975.
Ōbakusan Manpukuji Bunkaden 2022. Ōbakusan Manpukuji Bunkaden. Ōbakusan rengaku shū (The collection of plaques at Ōbakusan Manpukuji). Kyoto: Shūso Ingen Zenji Sanbyakugojūnen Daionki
Kinenjigyō Keisan Iinkai, 2022.
[ Kobijutsu Seto Co. Ltd, , Kyoto, until 10/25/2021; sold to Cowles]; Mary and Cheney Cowles , Seattle, Wash. until 2024; gifted to MMA
The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "The Three Perfections: Japanese Poetry, Calligraphy, and Painting from the Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection," August 10, 2024–August 3, 2025.
John T. Carpenter, and Tim T. Zhang. The Three Perfections: Japanese Poetry, Calligraphy, and Painting; The Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2024, pp. 190–91, cat. no. 66.
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