松花堂昭乗書・伝俵屋宗達下絵 和歌色紙 |Poem by Onakatomi Yoshinobu with Underpainting of Hollyhocks

Shōkadō Shōjō|Tawaraya Sōtatsu

early 17th century · Poem card (shikishi) mounted as a hanging scroll; ink, gold, and silver on colored paper · Asian Art

The honorific “Three Brushes of the Kan’ei Era” was given to Shōkadō Shōjō, Hon’ami Kōetsu (1558–1637), and Konoe Nobutada (1565–1614), all of whom were active in the Kyoto area. Both Shōjō, a Shingon monk, and Kōetsu, who worked as a ceramist and lacquer designer, turned to the painter Tawaraya Sōtatsu and his studio to create underpaintings for their calligraphic work. Here, Shōjō transcribed an ancient poem exalting the emperor by Ōnakatomi no Yoshinobu (921–991). The choice of poem and Shōjō’s fluid kana calligraphy reflect the renewed interest in classical literature that blossomed around the early 1600s. Chitose made kagireru matsu mo kyō yori wa kimi hikarete yorozuyo ya hemu Though pine trees may live a thousand years, the pine shoot plucked by His Majesty, however, will flourish forever. –Trans. John T. Carpenter

Artist

Shōkadō Shōjō|Tawaraya Sōtatsu

Date

early 17th century

Medium

Poem card (shikishi) mounted as a hanging scroll; ink, gold, and silver on colored paper

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Purchase, Mrs. Jackson Burke Gift, 1979