Title: Konoe-ka hiro-saku “Jū Ni-kagetsu no Tabi” (Twelve Months of Travel by Konoe Iehiro), Circa 1685 - 1736. Calligraphical Poetry with Beautiful Paintings Produced by the Chief Regent and Advisor to Multiple Japanese Emperors
Author: Attributed to Konoe Iehiro
Condition: Very Good
An Early to Mid Edo Period, late 17th to early 18th century pair of manuscript handscrolls, entitled Konoe-ka hiro-saku “Jū Ni-kagetsu no Tabi”, or Twelve Months of Travel by Konoe Iehiro.
As the title would entail, the manuscripts are an example of beautiful Edo Period, calligraphy poetry, produced by the chief regent and advisor to two different Japanese Emperors.
Each scroll has beautiful calligraphy written on fine torinoko paper, and throughout it all are painted in the background to provide an accompanying landscape, with floral gatherings, reeds, trees, and clouds.
The calligraphy is attributed to Konoe Iehiro (1667-1736), and very much in his style, being noted on a contemporary label which was preserved. A court noble of the Early and Mid Edo Period, he was also the regent and chief advisor to Emperors Higashiyama and Nakamikado, serving multiple reigns as kanpaku. The calligraphy in this scroll is comparable to several different examples by Iehiro digitized on the KNM Collection Database.
Born the elder son of Konoe Motohiro and Princess Tsuneko, he came of age in 1673 and was swiftly granted rank of Junior Fifth within the noble hierarchy, and becoming a true court noble by 1676. He swiftly rose through the ranks, and in 1707 succeeded Takatsukasa Kanehiro as Kanpaku, and later became Regent.
In addition to his court roles, he was also skilled in calligraphy and painting, being deeply influenced by the Kano school and expertly able to imitate the calligraphy of such figures such as Kūkai and Ono no Michikaze. He was also known for making paintings as well. He passed away at the age of 70.
The calligraphy has been laid down and bound in two scrolls for preservation, with beautiful brocade decorated covers of flowering designs and stripes against blue, and there are jikusaki (knobs) made of lacquered wood. Some of the sheets do appear to be out of order, however. There is a battered, early wooden box to accompany the scrolls, preserving the contents.
Two brocade bound handscrolls of calligraphy on fine paper, 27 x 1045 cm and 27 x 996 cm. The knobs are not included as part of the measurement.
These handscrolls are in very good shape, with minimal rubbing and wear to the brocade. There are a few creases throughout, and there is one tear to the upper margin in the first scroll, and two tears to the upper margins of the second.