HIGHLIGHT

Kōtaigō-no-miya Daibu, Shunzei’s daughter:
"Tachibana no / niofu atari no / utatane wa / yume mo mukashi no / sode no kazo suru"
From Shin Kokin Wakashū, Volume 3, Summer Songs, No. 245, untitled

Translation: A nap in the area where the tachibana flowers scent the air carries dreams that still smell of the sleeves of long ago.
Note: This poem appears in a uta-awase held before April, Kennin 3 (1203), in which she participated with her husband Minamoto no Michitsura (commonly called the “Michitsura Shunzei-kyō Uta-awase”).

(Tentative) This work is one piece from Kōetsu’s Waka Shikishi Album. Hon’ami Kōetsu, together with Konoe Nobutada (1565–1614) and Shōkadō Shōjō (1548–1639), is celebrated as one of the three great calligraphers of the early Edo period, known as the Kan’ei Sanpitsu. These three artists transcended conventional calligraphy, and Kōetsu in particular elevated calligraphy to a high art form. The underdrawings in Kōetsu’s calligraphy are said to have been executed by Tawaraya Sōtatsu, though this is not confirmed for this piece.

Kōetsu studied calligraphy under Sonchō Hōshinnō, receiving the Shōrenin style, and later under Konoe Sakihisa. Studying under such distinctive masters allowed Kōetsu to move beyond traditional Japanese calligraphy, and his recognition and exploration of exemplary Heian-period calligraphy laid the foundation for the richly decorative style characteristic of the Kōetsu school. In this work, the bold, rhythmic strokes are as much a visual art as a literary expression. Kōetsu’s era spans the late Momoyama to early Edo periods, contemporaneous with Kanō Eitaku and Sanraku, who produced bold and magnificent fusuma paintings, reflecting the aesthetics of the time.

According to Tomohiko Horie, “This album is said to have come from the Konoe family, and the paintings are extremely detailed; perhaps the Konoe family prepared the shikishi and commissioned Kōetsu to write on them.” Professor Aimi Kōu has commented: “Although some call this the Kan’ei Kōetsu, I judge it to be from Keichō Kōetsu, around his forties, when he was a diligent student and prolific writer—representing his most accomplished period.”

<Kikan Kobijutsu 20, Tomohiko Horie, “Kōetsu’s Calligraphy – Waka Shikishi Album”>

The box by Tan'yama Hōnan states “Yōmei-ke Densai”, and a copy of the origami shows the Yōmei family seal, though the current new box has replaced the old one, and prior ownership seals cannot be confirmed.