Title: Karasumaru Sanjurokkasen (The Karasumaru Thirty-Six Immortals of Poetry), Circa 1603-1638
Author: Stated Attribution to Karasuma Mitsuhiro; Poetry Originally Compiled by Fujiwara no Kinto
Condition: Good
A Late Azuchi-Momoyama to Early Edo Period, early 17th century manuscript collection of the Sanjurokkasen, also more famously known as the Thirty-Six Immortals of Poetry, in thirty-six sheets of calligraphy.
Selected by Fujiwara no Kintō of the Heian Period, they are a group of Japanese poets of the Asuka, Nara, and Heian Periods as exemplars of Japanese poetic ability.
Since that, various editions of the Sanjurokkasen have been produced, from the Thirty-Six Female Immortals of Poetry, the New Thirty-Six Immortals of Poetry, and even the Late Classical Thirty-Six Immortals of Poetry, each with a unique selection of poets.
Each poem for their respective poet is produced on fine shikishi leaves, and it looks like it was once decorated at some point, or potentially illuminated, though all of that is lacking now.
The manuscripts bear a stated attribution to Karasuma Mitsuhiro (1579-1638), a nobleman, poet, and calligrapher of the Early Edo Period. He was the eldest son of the junior minister, Karasumaru Mitsunobu. He held the rank of Shonii (Senior Second Rank) and Gon Dainagon (Provincial Councilor). He received instruction from Hosokawa Yusai, mastered the Nijo school of poetry, and devoted himself to the revival of the art of poetry. His calligraphy has been considered to be on par with the Kan'ei Sanbutsu. However, because Mitsuhiro's calligraphy was not studied extensively by later generations, it cannot be considered a calligraphy style and is generally classified as the Koetsu style.
Mitsuhiro's calligraphy was rather unique and difficult to grasp in terms of form, making it difficult to model, so it never became popular like the calligraphy of the three great calligraphers of the Kan'ei period. A versatile and highly skilled artist, Mitsuhiro sometimes wrote in the Teika style and at other times, in the Koetsu style, but he never became obsessed with either style, and his own calligraphy remained firmly rooted at the core. His calligraphy style is thought to have evolved from the Jimyoin style to the Teika style to the Koetsu style to the dubbed Mitsuhiro style.
One collection of calligraphy in shikishi format (14.3 x 13.6 cm), 36 leaves
These manuscripts are in good shape, with rubbing and wear to the leaves, and text loss to several leaves.