Anyone who explores the history of calligraphy or the world of classical manuscripts will inevitably encounter the term Tekagami.
At first glance, a tekagami may look like nothing more than a scrapbook—a collection of fine calligraphic fragments mounted together as reference samples. In reality, however, a tekagami is far more than a simple compilation.
Within its pages are embedded powerful ideas and value judgments:
- Who is placed above, and who below
- Which schools or lineages are treated as central
- What is recognized as “orthodox”
This article examines what a tekagami truly is, and how profound meaning is concealed in the seemingly simple act of pasting, from both historical and philosophical perspectives.
A Tekagami as a “Repository of Masterpieces”
The Fundamental Role of a Tekagami
A tekagami is a bound volume in which fragments of celebrated calligraphy—known as kohitsugire—are mounted onto backing paper and compiled into an album.
Historically, tekagami served three primary purposes:
- Appreciation of calligraphic styles and brushwork
- Models for practice and study
- Reference materials for authentication
In other words, a tekagami functioned as an archive of calligraphy—for viewing, learning, and judging.
Why Fragments Instead of Complete Works?
A crucial point is that tekagami rarely contain complete manuscripts. Instead, they preserve fragments.
This was not merely a matter of practicality or preservation. Underlying this choice was a belief that:
The essence of a calligrapher reveals itself most clearly in a single character or line.
The fragment was considered sufficient—superior—for grasping the writer’s true nature.
The Tekagami as a Book of Ideas
Who Is Chosen, and Who Is Excluded
A tekagami is never a random collection.
- Whose handwriting is included
- Which periods are emphasized
- Which lineages form the core
All of these decisions reflect the compiler’s understanding of calligraphy, aesthetic values, and intellectual stance.
A tekagami thus becomes a silent declaration:
“This is how I understand the history of calligraphy.”
Defining the Canon of Calligraphy
The calligraphers included in a tekagami collectively form what that era—or that compiler—considered a legitimate lineage.
Conversely, those excluded are pushed to the margins.
A tekagami does not merely record history; it actively constructs a canon.
Hierarchy Revealed Through Arrangement
Placement Is Never Accidental
A careful look at a tekagami reveals a clear internal order:
- Figures placed at the beginning
- Calligraphers occupying the central sections
- Works relegated to the final pages
This structure visually expresses ranking within the world of calligraphy.
Characteristics of Works Placed at the Top
In many tekagami, the opening or pivotal sections are reserved for:
- Modelbook traditions centered on Wang Xizhi
- In Japan, exemplary kana calligraphy from the Heian period
These placements send an unspoken message:
“This is the standard.”
“Evaluation begins here.”
Tekagami and the Culture of Authentication
Tekagami as a Measuring Stick
When judging the authenticity of classical manuscripts, people relied on tekagami as references.
Yet because a tekagami is already a concentration of value judgments, authentication itself can never be entirely neutral.
Authentication as the Inheritance of Thought
Connoisseurs trained using a particular tekagami unconsciously absorb its hierarchy and values.
In this way, tekagami functioned as mechanisms for reproducing ideology across generations.
Why Was Pasting Necessary?
Calligraphy Speaks Best Through Fragments
The act of cutting may seem cruel at first glance. Yet it reflects a distinctive understanding of calligraphy:
- A fleeting movement of the brush over a complete narrative
- The breath of a single stroke over total composition
The essence of calligraphy, it was believed, resides precisely within fragments.
Dialogue Created Through Pasting
By placing works from different eras and calligraphers face to face within a single volume, comparison, dialogue, and evaluation naturally emerge.
A tekagami is thus a device for “reading calligraphic history side by side.”
The Harsh Reality of the Calligraphic World
To read a tekagami closely is to encounter not only beauty, but also the reality of strict selection.
- Works that remain.
- Works that were not preserved.
- Works placed at the center.
- Works pushed to the periphery.
Tekagami eloquently testify that the world of calligraphy was never egalitarian.
Conclusion: Tekagami as a Silent Treatise on Calligraphy
A tekagami is not merely a collection of fine handwriting.
It is a highly articulate book that speaks—through silent structure—about:
- Views of calligraphic history
- Standards of beauty
- Boundaries between orthodoxy and deviation
Behind each fragment lies the compiler’s ideology and the values of their time.
To look at a tekagami is not simply to look at characters.
It is to read the very order of the calligraphic world itself.
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