(“Square Circle Method”)

OK. What’ve we got here? It is a new (circa 1987) patented approach to the construction of Japanese characters though scientific analysis. Just as the ancient Greeks actively studied the existence of numerical principles that govern the aesthetic qualities of painting, sculpture, architecture, and other visual arts, the idea of harmonizing artistic expression through numerical proportions exists in Japan. Here the authors pick up on the work of the Chinese calligrapher Ouyang Xun (557–641) and analyze his style to make inductive references. We don’t want to get too deep into this here, but they call it the Square Circle Method. This is all housed in a binder with two sets of loose leaves. On one set, 286 model characters based on rubbings of the Jiucheng Palace Liquan inscription are shown on top of squares and a circle. The second set of leaves consist of thin tissue with black characters printed on one side and the red square circle grid on the other. These are for trying your own hand at this new method. How well does it work? We can’t say. But we look forward to your detailed report.