The calligraphy of famous priests, tea masters, samurai, and the like, are treasured in Japan. While appreciation of the spirit of the artist is perhaps beyond those not steeped in the Buddhist tradition, and the Chinese characters often illegible, the works can easily be appreciated as beautiful abstractions in ink.
Many famous 19th and 20th century figures who played a part in the modern history of Japanese swords were known to create calligraphy for display in kakejiku. I have been collecting these as well as swords, and would like to share a few...Please have a look. I often come across these at flea markets and antique shows.
Yamaoka Tesshu
Toyama Mitsuru
calligraphy by Nakayama Hakudo