Japanese Calligraphy | Hachimaki

Last month I attended an after-hour event at the National Gallery of Art.  That night's activities were inspired by the upcoming exhibition The Life of Animals in Japanese Art.

Some of the evening activities included Japanese lessons, haiku writing, hachimaki and Japanese calligraphy.


I tried my hand in Japanese calligraphy and here is how it looks like:

I also designed a hachimaki (Japanese headband).  It is a thin towel or strip of cloth tied around the crown of the head.  According to Japanese legend, hachimaki strengthen the spirit and repel evil.   I chose the words "clever" and "magnificent".  Below is what I created:

~JM