#248 Spring has flowers, Summer the cuckoo bird,…
| Size： | approx. 29×22 cm |
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| Dressing： | – |
About this Waka (Poem)
| verse: | Haru ha hana, natsu hototogisu, aki ha tsuki, fuyu yuki sae te, suzushi kari keri |
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| a humble interpretation: | Spring has flowers, Summer the cuckoo bird, Autumn the moon, Winter snow — all bringing a quiet, refreshing clarity. |
| poet: | Zen Master Dōgen |
| in: | 1247 |
This is a waka poem by Zen Master Dōgen (1200–1253), a major figure in Japanese Buddhism who lived during the Kamakura period (1192–1333). The poem is often titled “Honrai-no-Menmoku” , meaning “the true face of things, just as they are,” and it celebrates the quiet beauty of the four seasons.
About the Artwork
For this piece, the waka has been written on a chidori uchiwa, a traditional Japanese fan shaped like the gentle outline of a chidori (plover) bird.
The soft curves and open space of the fan form resonate with the poem’s spirit — calm, unrestricted, and embracing the flow of the seasons. Even though fans are often associated with summer, this poem spans all four seasons, allowing the piece to be displayed year-round as interior art.
2026 Interior Calligraphy Exhibition
We are honored to announce that this work received the Ruby Award at the Interior Calligraphy Exhibition, organized by Sumi no Salon. This exhibition focuses on works created specifically as interior art.
Calligraphy, especially kana calligraphy, is not just writing on paper — the mounting, framing, and presentation are integral to the work itself. For this exhibition, the pieces are presented with three-dimensional framing that gives each piece a strong three-dimensional presence.
We hope you will visit the exhibition and enjoy these works in person.