13. Closing

Metalwork, pottery, calligraphy, painting — crossing worlds of different materials and different methods, Shodo pursued one thing consistently: to breathe life into form. The culmination of that quest stands crystallized, here before your eyes, in the works themselves. And here on Sado, the island that gave birth to a Living National Treasure, the significance of preserving Shodo's techniques — beginning with lost-wax casting — as cultural resources of the island, and passing them on to the next generation, is truly great. The role of this museum, too, extends beyond a place simply for viewing: it is becoming a place that connects craft, and spirit, to the future. As you continue, please view the works from far and from near, and from changing angles. We hope you will savor, to your heart's content, the breath of the forms that Shodo wove. Thank you very much for joining us to the very end.