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閑古錐
The Worn Awl
かんこすい · kan ko sui
¥6,980$70.00€65.00
An impression from a seal hand-carved in Tokyo, printed on a garment.
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寶千印 · Tokyo · 2026
- Made to order
- Printed one at a time
- Shipping
- Shipping included; available destinations shown at checkout.
- Original seal
- Hand-carved in Tokyo
Reading
An old awl, used so long its point has worn round.
The sharpness has not gone; it has settled inward, and no longer cuts.
One who has passed through the work, and left no trace of the work behind.
Not dullness, but an edge that no longer needs to be shown.
Origin
From the Avatamsaka Sutra (Flower Garland Sutra), the Gandavyuha chapter, in the pilgrimage of the youth Sudhana. The first teacher Sudhana visits, the monk Meghasri (Tokuun / Deyun), dwells on the summit of Wondrous Peak (Myohozan). In ko-sui, "sui" is an awl worn until its point has gone blunt; the term also serves as an honorific for a seasoned, mellowed master. The verse "Deyun, the worn old awl, how often he descends Wondrous Peak" is transmitted as a Chan verse and is quoted by Hakuin in the Dokugo Shingyo. (Note: this phrase is not the verse for Case 23 of the Blue Cliff Record; that verse opens with a different line.)
Seal
The original seal is hand-carved in Tokyo by the artist Satake Hōsen. Its impression is reproduced as a print on the garment.
篆刻 — 佐竹 寶千 朱印
Specifications
- Garment
- Short sleeve: Bella + Canvas 3001 / Long sleeve: Gildan 2400 (Ultra Cotton)
- DTG print — front: the seal; back & inside label: 寳千 / Vermilion
- Size
- S · M · L · XL
- Price
- ¥6,980$70.00€65.00
Size guide
Short sleeve · Bella + Canvas 3001
| Size | Length | Chest width |
|---|---|---|
| S | 71 / 28.0 | 46 / 18.1 |
| M | 74 / 29.1 | 51 / 20.1 |
| L | 76 / 29.9 | 56 / 22.0 |
| XL | 79 / 31.1 | 61 / 24.0 |
Long sleeve · Gildan 2400
| Size | Length | Chest width | Sleeve |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | 71 / 28.0 | 46 / 18.1 | 85 / 33.5 |
| M | 74 / 29.1 | 51 / 20.1 | 89 / 35.0 |
| L | 76 / 29.9 | 56 / 22.0 | 93 / 36.6 |
| XL | 79 / 31.1 | 61 / 24.0 | 97 / 38.2 |
Garment measured flat, in cm / inches. Slight variation occurs between pieces. Check the measurements rather than the size letter.
Journal
On this word (Journal) →On the same theme
