“Speak—Nanten’s staff! Don’t speak—Nanten’s staff!—Brushed at the request of Mr. Suzuki Intan by Nantenbō Tōjū”¹

Nantenbō’s inscription, using one of his many names, and splashy brushwork embody the Zen master’s fearsome and uncompromising personality, for which he was renowned. Indeed, the somewhat playful language communicates a very real threat: speak, and you will be struck with the master’s staff; remain silent, and the result will be the same. During the study of the koan, Nantenbō did, in fact, strike his students with his signature staff, which he famously carved from a Nanten (Nandina) shrub, giving him his name, which literally translates to “Nanten Staff.”

—Bradley Bailey