Rai Shunsui (1746–1816), Calligraphy

This is a Japanese hanging scroll of calligraphy by Rai Shunsui, written in pale ink with the five-character phrase “Pines rise high where white clouds sleep” (松高白雲眠). Executed in fluid cursive script, the characters combine broad, moist strokes with passages of dry, swiftly moving brushwork, creating a rhythm that is both vigorous and contemplative.

Rai Shunsui was a prominent Confucian scholar, poet, educator, and calligrapher of the late Edo period. A native of Takehara in present-day Hiroshima Prefecture, he later entered the service of the Hiroshima domain and became an important figure in its intellectual life. He was also the father of the celebrated historian and writer Rai San’yō, whose calligraphy screen is also in this auction.  

The calligraphy is further distinguished by its unusual mounting in richly patterned brocade woven with metallic threads, whose subtle luster complements the restrained pale ink of the inscription.

Signed “Written by Kagai” (霞崖書), with two seals.

{Image size: 32 x 15 3/8 inches}. {Scroll size: 61 1/2 x 13 1/8 inches}.

This work will be featured in the special exhibition Time Well Wasted: Five Hundred Years of Japanese Ink Painting, held at Michaan’s Auctions from August 16 to 21, 2026, and will be published in the accompanying book of the same title by Jingwei Zeng.

Horizontal creases, surface soiling, and accretions. For condition report and additional photos, please contact the Asian Art Department.