Welcome to Hyotan, my modest online art museum dedicated to historically important Japanese antiques & collectibles and the culture that produced them. This is the place I come to surround myself with a kind of beauty that reflects uniquely Japanese aesthetic principles–all in a virtual reality that transcends time and space. Here are photos of my koi pond with spider lillies and pink lotuses, flowers from the garden, blue herons and yellow lotus that live in Paynes Prairie just below the bluff where my home (known as Wuthering Bluff) sits, spectacular sunsets, and of course anything related to the practice of the Zen meditation (zazen) and the Zen arts (i.e. archery, swordsmanship, tea ceremony, ikebana, painting and calligraphy). You will see pieces from my own collection of early iron sword guards (Tsuba Gallery). These were originally mounted on marvelous samurai swords (katana). I share my museum quality collection of calligraphy and paintings by important Zen Masters and Buddhist nuns from the 16th-20th century. Published poems and essays, original music compositions, and the “Diary of a Young Cellist” (my son) are also featured. Nearly all images you see on this site are part of my personal collection and photographed by me unless otherwise specified. So, let us pretend that we are in Owari Province (modern day Aichi Prefecture, Japan) 500 years ago during the Momoyama Period (1573-1615). Our adventure begins!
Spider lillies in koi pondPink lotus in koi pondPink hybiscusGreat heron in Paynes PrairieYellow lotuses in Paynes PrairieZen Garden, The John and Mable Ringling Museum, Sarasota, Florida (May 2024)
“Wabi (侘) describes a positivity of heart that comes by accepting transience and imperfection”
Soshin Kimura, Tea Master
Enso, Kaizan Sokaku (1769-1846) Personal collection
Hyotan (gourds): long used in Japan as containers for sake, water, and flowers; regarded as lucky charms; gourd shapes appear as architectural motifs, cartouches for woodblock prints, and…
Embarking on formal koan study of the 100 cases in The Blue-Cliff Records, I pondered how I might document my experience of direct non-verbal insight (“breaking through the…
November 22, 2025. The arrow flew off the bow unexpectedly–as if of its own volition. It was how correct hanare (release) is described by master Zen archers. The…
History and Philosophy Iaidō (居合道) is a Japanese martial art that emphasizes being aware and capable of quickly drawing the sword and responding to sudden attacks. It is in essence…
