Lotus Moon: The Art of Otagaki Rengetsu

February 8 – May 11, 2008

Otagaki Rengetsu (1791-1875) was a Buddhist nun, a woman of great beauty and one of Japan’s most celebrated artists. Admired primarily for her exquisite calligraphy, Rengetsu was also a poet and ceramic artist, often inscribing her poems in her own calligraphy onto ceramic vessels, a unique blending of art forms for any artist in Japanese history. Her work was so popular during her lifetime that every household in Kyoto was said to own her pottery, and today scrolls and ceramics bearing her calligraphy are highly sought after.

Rengetsu’s art work radiates vitality, grace and humility – though her life was full of tragedy. Born Nobu, probably the illegitimate child of a courtesan and a noble, the young girl was adopted by the samurai Otagaki Teruhisa and his wife. As a child, she was sent to Kameoka Castle to serve as a lady-in-waiting; there, she was trained in traditional arts. Nobu married twice and bore five children, all of whom died. At the age of 33, she vowed to never marry again and joined her father at the Chion’in temple in Kyoto, where she took the name Rengetsu, meaning “Lotus Moon.”

After her father’s death, Rengetsu left the temple and supported herself by making pottery decorated with her poetry. Her ceramics were greatly admired, and orders from tea masters and other customers kept her very busy; her poetry was published in two collections during her lifetime.

Otagaki Rengetsu (1791-1875) was a Buddhist nun, a woman of great beauty and one of Japan’s most celebrated artists. Admired primarily for her exquisite calligraphy, Rengetsu was also a poet and ceramic artist, often inscribing her poems in her own calligraphy onto ceramic vessels, a unique blending of art forms for any artist in Japanese history. Her work was so popular during her lifetime that every household in Kyoto was said to own her pottery, and today scrolls and ceramics bearing her calligraphy are highly sought after.

Rengetsu’s art work radiates vitality, grace and humility – though her life was full of tragedy. Born Nobu, probably the illegitimate child of a courtesan and a noble, the young girl was adopted by the samurai Otagaki Teruhisa and his wife. As a child, she was sent to Kameoka Castle to serve as a lady-in-waiting; there, she was trained in traditional arts. Nobu married twice and bore five children, all of whom died. At the age of 33, she vowed to never marry again and joined her father at the Chion’in temple in Kyoto, where she took the name Rengetsu, meaning “Lotus Moon.”

After her father’s death, Rengetsu left the temple and supported herself by making pottery decorated with her poetry. Her ceramics were greatly admired, and orders from tea masters and other customers kept her very busy; her poetry was published in two collections during her lifetime.

This bottle not only illustrates Rengetsu’s artistic talents but offers a glimpse into the heart of the woman who made it. It is exactly this blend of artistry and humanity that made Rengetsu’s work so admired and
sought after during her lifetime. The bottle is uneven and imperfect, crafted less from technical expertise and more from a loving sensibility, and the
fingerprints left on the clay surface create a sense of spiritual connection between the artist and the viewer. The poem is also intriguing. A tanuki (a badger or raccoondog) is a trickster character in Japanese folklore, and the image of this creature knocking on doors at night in search of a drink of sake, usually dressed as a Buddhist priest, is very comical. However, Rengetsu was not only being playful using this poem, but may also have been alluding to herself – an elderly nun drinking sake alone on a rainy night.

Lotus Moon: The Art of Otagaki Rengetsu features paintings, poetry cards and ceramic vessels. The exhibition opens February 8, in the Japanese Arts Gallery.

Meher McArthur
Exhibition Curator

Related Programs:

Curator’s Tour 
Saturday, February 16, 2008, 1pm
Lotus Moon: the Art of Otagaki Rengetsu with guest curator Meher McArthur. Free with admission.

Lecture
Saturday, March 29, 2pm 
Otagaki Rengetsu was a poet, calligrapher, potter – and Buddhist nun. Rev. Myoan Grace Schireson, Ph.D. explores how Rengetsu’s practice and enlightenment manifested itself in ways we can touch and experience directly. Myoan Schireson is a Zen teacher and ordained Buddhist priest in the Suzuki Roshi lineage. Free with admission.

Lecture
Sunday, April 13, 2pm
“Chado & Clay: The Way of Tea and Clay” with Julie Hunter “Sori” Bagish Chado, or the Way of Tea, is an ancient art form embodying the idea of ichigo ichie, (This moment, now). The scroll displayed at a ceremony, for example, is the poetic expression of the event’s time, place, and purpose. Rengetsu embodied this by her use of poetic calligraphy on both clay and paper. Ms. Bagish, a celebrated ceramicist and tea teacher, will explore these interactions, demonstrate Rengetsu’s inscription technique, and share Tea objects to touch.

Authors on Asia: Poets on Site
Sunday, May 4, 2pm
Members of Poets on Site will conduct a tour of the museum exhibition, Lotus Moon: The Art of Otagaki Rengetsu, reading from their new book of poems inspired by art in the exhibit. Reservations strongly recommended as space is limited in the Japanese Gallery. Books will be available at all programs for purchase or signing. Programs are free with admission.