David Jones, artist and poet (1895-1974) begins his PREFACE TO THE ANATHEMATA :
'I have made a heap of all that I could find.' (1) So wrote Nennius, or whoever composed the introductory matter to Historia Brittonum. He speaks of an 'inward wound' which was caused by the fear that certain things dear to him 'should be like smoke dissipated'. Further, he says, 'not trusting my own learning, which is none at all, but partly from writings and monuments of the ancient inhabitants of Britain, partly from the annals of the Romans and the chronicles of the sacred fathers, Isidore, Hieronymous, Prosper, Eusebius and from the histories of the Scots and Saxons although our enemies . . . I have lispingly put together this . . . about past transactions, that [this material] might not be trodden under foot'. (2)
(1) The actual words are coacervavi omne quod inveni, and occur in Prologue 2 to the Historia.
(2) Quoted from the translation of Prologue 1. See The Works of Gildas and Nennius, J.A.Giles, London 1841.
Hyakka Ryōran (百花繚乱) is a Japanese phrase meaning 'Countless flowers blooming in profusion'.
The scroll below, 'Hyakka Fukunozu' (百福之図), we take to be of the same genre. Here, the flowers are countless Otafuku (the goddess of laughter) engaged in their various wisdom activities. (One is washing her hair.)
In the top right corner is a meta-scroll regarded by two Otafuku. It depicts a 'hoju' aka 'the flaming pearl of wisdom'.
collection : FIAPCE
(above) Otafuku studying the Title
Theatre of the Actors of Regard
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
someone looks at something...
