多芸は無芸 tagei wa mugei Too Many Accomplishments Make No Accomplishments

Too Many Accomplishments Make No Accomplishments in Japanese is 多芸は無芸 which is read tagei wa mugei

多芸は無芸 (tagei wa mugei): many accomplishments are no accomplishment.

A warning to the versatile: the person with a hand in many arts masters none of them, and the proverb says it as a contradiction, many are none, which is the point. Jack of all trades and master of none is the English the dictionaries set beside it, and it explains the paradox away; the title on this page keeps it. It is a modern proverb, the Japanese counterpart of the English one, with older Japanese sayings of the same thought behind it, eight crafts, seven poverties; and Japanese holds the other side too, that an accomplishment saves you, so the reminder to stay with one art is for the person with more than one worth keeping, and which one is yours.

This beautiful calligraphy is the perfect gift for the person that may be easily sidetracked. This is an elegant reminder to keep focused on what is truly important.

We want you to be as happy with the meaning as you are with Master Takase's art. To learn more, visit Philology of 多芸は無芸.

Your scroll is brushed when you order it and completed within 1 to 3 business days. It ships by USPS Priority Mail from Master Takase's studio in Washington State, boxed and ready to hang, with a printed page giving the art's English, romaji and Japanese.

Sending it as a gift? Tell us when you order and we will include your message.

Shipping is calculated at checkout from your address; within the United States it is $13 to $22. We ship worldwide, and any import charges for your country are shown at checkout before you pay.

Every order is covered by our 30-day money-back guarantee. If your scroll arrives damaged, or we made an error, we replace it or refund you in full, including shipping. Refund policy

Master Japanese Calligrapher Eri Takase brushes your scroll by hand when you order it. Each scroll bears her red seal, 英利, and her signature.

The scrolls are 12 1/4" W × 43" H (31 × 109 cm) with real silk borders and Japanese paper that are layered so the scroll hangs straight and will not warp over time. The scrolls themselves are made by Sankō (株式会社三幸) in Gifu prefecture, which has been making high quality scrolls since 1947, and we have worked with Sankō for over two decades.

Eri Takase was born and raised in Osaka, Japan, and holds the rank of Shihan, the highest rank in Japanese calligraphy, from the Bokuteki-kai and the Bunka-shodo. About Master Takase