Title: A Beautiful Handscroll of Calligraphy and Paintings, Being Masterful Copies after Several Great Calligraphy and Tea Masters of the Late Muromachi and Early Edo Periods, Circa 1650-1700. Twelve Examples of Paintings and Calligraphy, with Most Being the only Known Copies
Author: After Shōkadō Shōjō, Takuan Soho, Kogetsu Sogan, Gyokushitsu Sohaku, Tenyu Shoko, Sekishuku Kentaku
Condition: Very Good
A rather interesting, Early to Mid Edo Period, mid to late 17th century handscroll of calligraphy and paintings, being masterful copies after several of Japan’s calligraphy and tea masters of the Late Muromachi and Early Edo Periods. A swathe of signatures and artist seals are present, including Shōkadō Shōjō (1584-1639), Takuan Soho (1586-1666), Gyokushitsu Sohaku (1572-1641), Kogetsu Sogan (1574-1643), Tenyu Shoko (1586-1666), and even Sekishuku Kentaku (?–1658).
There are twelve examples of paintings and beautiful calligraphy, the paintings mostly being nature-based scenes, several of which are ink and wash in style.
The paintings and calligraphy are so masterfully produced, that initially I could not tell whether these were copies or not, until I realized the artist seals were not all perfect impressions. I was also able to compare to existing originals, of which I have found two. The examples of paintings and calligraphy that are recognized here, are Bamboo and Sparrow, and Chia-shan and the Ferryman, both of which are held in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. However, as for the rest of these pieces, I cannot find any records of the originals presently held in any public institution or museum or recorded as well-known pieces. As far as research indicates, the other paintings and calligraphy can be considered the only known early copies after these masters. Whether any of them could even be originals, however, is disputable, as each of these pieces was laid down individually.
Gyokushitsu Sohaku was a monk from the Momoyama to Early Edo period, and fellow disciple of Takuan Soho and Kogetsu Sogan. He followed Soen's teachings and served as the abbot of Daitoku-ji Temple in Kyoto and opened Hoshun-in Temple after receiving the patronage of the Kaga Maeda family. He was deeply fond of the tea ceremony, and was friends with Sen Sotan, Furuta Oribe, Kobori Enshu, Konoe Nobuhiro, and Shokado Shōjō. He became the teacher of Katagiri Sekishu and was bestowed the title of Sanshu Sōkan, leaving behind calligraphy worthy of a tea master. He passed away at the age of 70.
Takuan Soho was Rinzai sect monk from the Sengoku and Early Edo Period, serving as the 169th abbot of Daitoku-ji. He inherited the teachings of Man'e Sōtei and later became the founder of Yamato Tokugen-ji., passing away at the age of 81.
Shokado Shojo was the head priest of Takimotobo at Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine in Kyoto, establishing the Shokado and Takimoto Schools of calligraphy. He is one of the three great calligraphers of the Kan'ei period, along with Hon'ami Koetsu and Konoe Nobutada. He was also rather experienced at painting and the tea ceremony and is known for his ink painting "Chickens and Grapes." He passed away at the age of 56.
Kogetsu Sogan was a Rinzai sect monk from the Azuchi-Momoyama and Early Edo Period. He was the son of Tsuda Souki, a wealthy merchant in Sakai who served as a tea master under Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He was the abbot of Daitoku-ji Temple but was also known as a leading intellectual of his time, and his calligraphy, alongside Takuan Soho and Seigan Soei, became popular as a tea adornment. He had connections with Sen Sotan, taking Hori Naoyori and Kuroda Takamasa as his pupils. He was also known to have had friendly relations with Shokadō Shōjō and Kano Tan'yū.
Tenyu Shoko was a Rinzai sect monk in the Early Edo Period and the abbot of Daitoku-ji Temple. He is known for his calligraphy and for creating the Baigan-in and South Gardens at Daitoku-ji Temple. He is also known for appearing in Mori Ogai 's novel " The Abe Clan," which depicts the tragedy that occurred in the Hosokawa domain.
Of Sekishuku Kentaku (? – 1658), very little can be found regarding his history, other than a singular joint work he produced with Shojo.
The paintings and calligraphy have been laid down and bound in a scroll format for preservation, with a beautiful brocade decorated cover of gold flowering designs against white, and there are jikusaki (knobs). There is an oddly constructed wooden box to accompany it, preserving the scroll.
One brocade bound handscroll of paintings and calligraphy on paper, roughly 29.5 x 731 cm main paper. The knobs are not included as part of the measurement.
This handscroll is in very good shape, with minimal rubbing and wear to the brocade fabric. There is minor spotting and soiling throughout, a tiny hole to an edge, and one harsh crease. There are some minor worm tracks throughout, most of which have been repaired or do not impact text and illustrations.