“The dragon feasts on the sun and the water of the four seas!—Brushed by Tesshū Kōhō”¹

An accomplished swordsman and prolific calligra­pher, Yamaoka Tesshū was also an adviser to the Meiji Emperor. This work, signed with one of his stylized art names, is characteristic of his dynamic and energetic calligraphies, which number more than a million identified paintings. The description of the dragon’s power is reinforced by the movements of Tesshū’s brush, which swirl and twist like the tail of the auspicious flying beast.  

 

—Bradley Bailey