know how it will turn out until you are finished.”
Keppan An Artist's Blood Oath
An American Vietnamese artist, who did glossy, contemporary pieces, was exhibiting at Jayne’s gallery. As is done with traditional Asian art, the artist signed the pieces using a stamp/chop. The chop is usually dipped in red paint making the signature bold and obvious.
Because forgeries are always a concern for artists, Jayne wondered if using a little of the artists blood mixed with the paint might eliminate the possibility of forgery. Real DNA would be on each piece impossible to duplicate. Or would it be impossible?
Keppan – An Artist’s Blood Oath ties together art with a murder mystery and seems to be a perfect fit. Below is a small snippet.
-A SNIPPET from the Murder Mystery KEPPAN - An Artist's Blood Oath-
Daiki stood by the table and lit a very large red candle with a flourish accompanied by applause. As he looked around the room as he spoke, his voice was smooth and confident. He was very secure and certain of himself and his abilities.
“When I was a boy, my parents enrolled me in school to study Japanese arts. Not just martial arts, although that was a big part of the program, but also swordsmanship and many Japanese traditions like sumo and kendo. Eventually, a headmaster recruited me to join his study of martial arts and pledge my loyalty to that particular ryu. It was common for a student to sign a Keppan using the student’s actual blood offering an oath of their allegiance. While I had no interest in taking any oaths seriously at that time, I filed the knowledge away until I was an art student and ready to commit myself to the study and creation of beautiful art.”
“I was determined to make my own personal Keppan, an oath to the authenticity and craft of my work. I decided to wait and take my oath after I was finished making this chop.” Daiki held the chop in his outstretched hand.
“From that day until today, each time I use my chop with the ink that contains my life force, I remember my blood oath and renew my personal Keppan.”
About Jayne
Jayne grew up in northern Ohio in a small town southwest of Cleveland. The eldest of five children, she learned the value of hard work at an early age. Her parents had their own business and Jayne worked weekends and summers helping her mom, dad, and siblings. This work experience set her on a path to achieve her dreams.
More than thirty-five years ago, Jayne and her late husband Stu, opened a custom picture framing store in Santa Monica, California. They grew from a small mom and pop operation to an industry leading business that serves clients internationally. Jayne works with art from all over the world; weavings from Peru, a mola from Panama, a painting purchased from a street artist in Montmartre, France.
Jayne enjoys cooking, playing golf, and helping customers turn their pieces of art into framed masterpieces. She has traveled extensively, exploring new cultures and cuisines.
A graduate of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, with a BA in Education, Jayne specialized in learning disabilities and behavioral disorders. Jayne Zehngut's first novel is a Japanese art murder mystery, KEPPAN - An Artist's Blood Oath.