Artwork Page for Storing Life

Details / Information for Storing Life

Storing Life

貯塵

1979

Aoyama Sanu 青山杉雨

(Japanese, 1912–1993)
Culture
Japan, Shōwa period (1926–89)
Medium
ink on paper
Measurements
Image: 43 x 68.5 cm (16 15/16 x 26 15/16 in.); Framed: 57 x 83 cm (22 7/16 x 32 11/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Aoyama Keiji 2011.16
Copyright
Copyright
This artwork is known to be under copyright.
Location
Not on view
Print
?

Did You Know?

Fascicle 94 of the Commentary on the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra contains a phrase noting that dust piled up will become a mountain.

Description

Read from right to left, the two characters in this calligraphy translate to “storing up dust” (chojin). The word used for dust appears in Buddhist sacred texts, where it can refer to everyday life. Aoyama Sanu’s phrase means to contemplate the moments making up an ordinary existence. It prompts meditation on dust, and invites the viewer to consider the endlessly shifting nature of the materials that constitute our lives.
Horizontally long white paper inked with thick, black Japanese characters with streaking or roughened edges (see "Description"). On the central left sits two square, red stamps comprised of more characters. The lower stamp shows white characters against a red background, and the upper red characters against a white background.

Storing Life

1979

Aoyama Sanu

(Japanese, 1912–1993)
Japan, Shōwa period (1926–89)

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