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Ono no Michikaze


Ono no Michikaze or Ono no Tōfū (小野 道風?, 894 – February 9, 966) was a prominent Shodōka (Japanese calligrapher) who lived in the Heian period (794–1185). One of the so-called Sanseki 三跡 (Three Brush Traces), along with Fujiwara no Sukemasa and Fujiwara no Yukinari. Tōfū is considered the founder of Japanese style calligraphy or wayōshodō 和様書道.

Michikaze was born in the present Kasugai, Aichi prefecture, as the grandson of a courtier-poet, Ono no Takamura. He was a government official, a poet and a calligrapher. He provided highly distinguished calligraphic services for three emperors during his career: Daigo (reigned from 897 to 930), Suzaku (reigned from 930 to 946) and Murakami (reigned from 946 to 967). Michikaze's fame permitted him to serve, at the age of twenty-seven, in the Seiryoden, the residential quarters of the imperial court.

As a recognition of his high skill, Emperor Daigo offered the Buddhist monk Kanken two volumes of Michikaze's works in 927, and urged him to take them with him on a voyage to China, and commend Michikaze’s calligraphic achievements to the Chinese.

Michikaze had lost much of his sight by the time he died.

Michikaze took the first step in Japanizing the art of calligraphy, imported from China around the 5th century. His works were slightly influenced by the style of the legendary 4th-century Chinese calligrapher Wang Xizhi, however, he added his own refinements, that resulted in a softer feel with more freedom of movement than was common under the strictures of Chinese calligraphy.

He created the Japanese style calligraphy (wayo) that was later refined by other two masters, Fujiwara no Sukemasa and Fujiwara no Yukinari. Wayo was accredited and practiced, as a pure Japanese art form, until the mid-19th century.


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