farfel_n06_065_433

Taisho Shinshu Daizokyo (Taisho Era New Compilation of
the Canon) 100 vols., record 3,053 works in 11,970 fascicles,
published 1924-34 - the definitive collection of the
Chinese Canon. Printed in Japan - has 3 columns per page,
each column composed of 29 liens of 17 ideograms each.
Thus, a single page of the Taisho Daizokyo is roughly
equivalent to 3 sheets of the Tripitaka as it was
originally printed in China.

- Reading marks in red, to make it easier for Japanese
readers to understand the Chinese text were added
by hand at a later time. (? 13th C.)
- Calligraphy has been considered the ultimate art form by
the Chinese educated elite since at least the Han dynasty
(206 BC - 220 AD). Calligraphy is a dance in which the
artist controls 3 partners: the brush, the paper (or silk)
+ the ink. The rythm of the dance is controlled through
character size, contrast between light + dark ink +
speed of line.