Vividly Alive

Reading

The flash of a fish that breaks the surface and is gone.

Nothing held back, nothing rehearsed — only this instant, full.

It shows where the wish to be something has dropped away.

Within the motion, a center that does not stir.

Origin

A Song-dynasty term. Its locus classicus is Zhu Xi's commentary 『中庸章句』 (Zhongyong Zhangju) on chapter 12, which records the remark of the Cheng masters (程子): "In this section Zisi is most urgently at work for others' sake — vividly alive (活潑潑地); let the reader direct his thought here." It glosses the vital force of "the kite in flight, the fish at leap" (鳶飛魚躍) that chapter 12 cites from the Book of Odes. The phrase also recurs in the 『朱子語類』 and was later absorbed into Chan/Zen recorded sayings and phrase-collections (e.g. the Zenrin kushū). The graph "溌溌 (鱍鱍)" names a fish breaking the surface of the water.

Seal

Cut by hand in Tokyo by the artist. The angle of the blade and the depth of the stroke decide where the ink bleeds and where it holds. No imprint repeats.

篆刻 — 佐竹寶千　朱印

Specifications

Garment: Short sleeve: Bella + Canvas 3001 / Long sleeve: Gildan 2400 (Ultra Cotton)
Print: 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. Sizes follow Japanese garment standards — check the measurements rather than the letter.