- Zenga
Zenga is the Japanese term for the practice and art of
Zen Buddhist painting andcalligraphy in theJapanese tea ceremony and also themartial arts .Definition
As a noun, Zenga is a style of Japanese calligraphy and painting, done in
ink . In many instances, both calligraphy and image will be in the same piece. The calligraphy denotes a poem, or saying, that teaches some element of the true path of Zen. The brush painting is characteristically simple, bold and abstract.History
Though
Zen Buddhism had arrived inJapan at the end of the 12th-century, Zenga (as here described) didn't come into its own until the beginning of theEdo period in 1600.ubject matter
In keeping with individual paths to
enlightenment , nearly any subject matter can lend (and has lent) itself to Zenga. Everything from a cat, to a bamboo shoot, to a man defecating in a field has been used to illustrate a particular point - although enso, sticks and Mt. Fuji are the most common elements.See also
*
Japanese tea ceremony
*Japanese calligraphy
**Hitsuzendo
**Bokuseki
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