Description

中原南天棒 Nakahara Nantenbo (1839-1925) Rinzai sect priest Buddhist monk Japanese antique art Zen Paired kakejiku kakemono wall hanging scrolls / 四海雲水 鉢孟如雷 烏藤圓笠 化幾村歸 - Mendicant Priest with Original Box (Tomobako) RD797

四海雲水 鉢孟如雷 烏藤圓笠 化幾村歸

Voices of begging for alms that monks in the world say are loudly like thunder. Appearance whose old stick and round hat after just becoming a priest. I wonder if how many monks will become true Zen monks and come back to their home village?

中原南天棒 Nakahra Nantenbo (1839-1925)
A Zen monk of the late Edo and Taisho periods. He is also known by another name, 白崖窟 Hakkeikutsu, but is more widely known as 南天棒 (Nantenbo). He is known as one of the most powerful monks of the Meiji period, who always carried a Nanten stick with him. He visited Zen temples all over the country and beat monks in training without mercy. He traveled all over the country, challenging even his masters to Zen battles. He went to as many as twenty-five dojos, and if he found someone inexperienced, he would beat him mercilessly with a Nantian stick. At a time when telephones and telegraphs were inadequate, rumors of the arrival of the Nantenbo had some people trembling with fear. He also devoted himself to teaching the laity, and his influence was felt by such figures as 山岡鉄舟 Yamaoka Tesshu, 乃木希典 Nogi Maresuke, and 児玉源太郎 Kodama Gentaro.

Upper right seal 'Nantenbo' 南天棒
with signature ' 82 years old Nantenbo' 八十二翁 南天棒 and seal 'Hakkeikutsu' 白崖窟 'Toshu' 鄧州

This pair of Zen hanging scrolls by Nakahara Nantenbō (1839–1925), signed “82-year-old Nantenbō” (八十二翁 南天棒) and sealed Nantenbō (南天棒), Hakkeikutsu (白崖窟), and Tōshū (鄧州), presents a powerful calligraphic expression of the mendicant monk’s path. The inscription reads:
四海雲水 鉢孟如雷 烏藤圓笠 化幾村歸
Across the four seas, monks wander like drifting clouds and flowing water. Their alms bowls thunder like rolling storms. With black cane and round hat, they transform and return—how many truly come back as awakened monks?
Rendered in bold, expressive brushwork, this piece embodies Nantenbō’s uncompromising Zen spirit and his lifelong devotion to awakening through direct action and confrontation. A towering figure in Meiji-era Rinzai Zen, Nantenbō was known for wielding his nanten stick as both a teaching tool and a challenge to complacency. His influence extended beyond the monastic world, reaching cultural figures such as Yamaoka Tesshū, Nogi Maresuke, and Kodama Gentarō. The scrolls are accompanied by their original tomobako (storage box), reflecting careful preservation and traditional presentation. This work stands as a vivid testament to the fusion of Zen practice and calligraphic art.

Whole dimensions: 13.3" W x 71.1" H / 33.8cm x 180.8cm
Inside dimensions: 8.3" W x 40.4" H / 21.3cm x 102.7cm

Material: Paper
Technique: Handpainted
Roller ends: Wood

Weight: 790g including Original Box (Tomobako)

Condition

Antique items have originally crease, stain, damage, and more. I would like you to refer to the listing photos, but please understand that it's difficult to show all conditions by the photos. Special notes: MANY STAIN, CREASE, DAMAGE a little, FOLD, WARP, STAIN DAMAGE in the back of the mounting.

About the colors of the photos

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