Title: Kohitsu Tekagami (Ancient Calligraphy Handbook), Circa 787-1847. An Extraordinary Survivor of Manuscript Collecting, with 196 Pieces of Calligraphy and Art Attributed to Historical Figures, Warlords and Daimyos, Poets, and More
Author: Shōkadō Shōjō; Ukita Hideie; Yamazaki Sōkan; and Many More (Refer to Complete List)
Condition: Very Good
An extraordinarily rare album of calligraphy and paintings compiled in the mid 19th century, dubbed Kohitsu Tekagami, or Ancient Calligraphy Handbook, containing a truly exemplary collection of fragments from the Late Nara to Late Edo Period, or 7th to mid 19th century.
Also known as a “mirror of hands”, a tekagami is an album of calligraphy fragments from various poems, literature, sutras and other religious texts, letters, and more, typically accompanied by written and stamped appraisals known as kiwame-fuda, though the examples in this album are not stamped by the appraiser who likely worked on all of these examples. Much of the following information provided is thanks to the exceptional work of the U of Oregon Tekagami and Kyogire Projects.
However prevalent manuscript collecting was in Europe, it was just as lively in Japan, especially during the Edo Period, and continues today with a dedicated group of calligraphy collectors. To own a piece of calligraphy attributed to a famed poet, calligrapher, or historical figure, is akin to owning a magnificent leaf from a Book of Hours, or Missal, or Breviary. There’s a tangible, historical connection to be made between the collector and the piece itself, made more real with the kiwame-fuda inscription. It should also be noted that barring the cost of the calligraphy piece itself, there were steep charges that came with a single kiwame-fuda appraisal, often costing roughly $550 USD converted to modern sums for simpler examples, and much more if appraising significant examples.
It should be noted of course that such appraisals are not definitive, and at the end of the day, all listed attributions are those provided by prior Edo Period appraisers, not yet subjects to modern day scholarly study and identification. As several of these authors are semi-legendary or even mythical, the authenticity of some of the truly early examples is questionable, and more likely several are later Heian Period examples. Just as a modern-day collector can acquire forgeries by accident, so too could the early collectors of Japan. Note the Oregon University study of carbon dating several examples of calligraphy which turned out to be slightly later copies on period paper.
This album is a masterful compilation, providing examples attributable to authors from the Late 7th century, up to the mid 19th century. From Asano no Nakai to Tauchi Tadafumi, the list of attributed authors and artists is staggering, spanning royalty, renga poets, monks, calligraphers, warlords, and so much more. There are several fine paintings as well, and many of the calligraphy fragments often span the page or an entire double page.
Some of the fragments are beautifully painted and decorated with different motifs, while others are brightly illuminated.
Of the 196 pieces of calligraphy and paintings which are in various formats, 80 have been identified, and all of the pieces are accompanied with corresponding kiwame-fuda inscriptions by what appears to be a singular appraiser. With examples as early as the Nara Period, there is a staggering selection of fragments largely from the Muromachi to Early Edo Periods as well, with examples attributed to famed calligrapher Shōkadō Shōjō, daimyos Ukita Hideie, Imagawa Ujizane, and many more.
As singular fragments, the calligraphy is already historically important from an artistic and scholarly viewpoint, and as a complete collection, a treasure representing both early modern collecting interests and appraisal practices.
The comprehensive list of identified attributed authors is as followed:
Kūshō hōshinnō 空性法親王 (1573–1650), Goyōzei in nyoin Chuwamon'in 後陽成院女院 中和門院 (1575–1630), Hachijōnomiya Toshitada Shinnō 八条宮智忠親王 (1619–62), Shōgoin dono 聖護院殿 = Shōgoin miya Dōkō Hōshinnō 聖護院宮道晃法親王 (1612–1679), Chikumondono 竹門殿 Manshuin Ryōjo Hōshinnō 曼殊院良恕法親王 (1575–1643), Daikakuji Zuian 大覚寺瑞庵 Daikakuji Kūshō hōshinnō 大覚寺空性法親王 (1573–1650), Sogan 素眼 Shijō Konrenji Sogan Hōshi 四条金蓮寺素眼法師 (Nanbokuchō Period), Sanjōnishi Saneeda 三條西實條 (1575–1640), Konoe dono 近衛殿 Sanmyakuinsama 三藐院様＝Konoe Nobutada近衛信尹 (1565–1614), Asukai Chūnagon Masae 飛鳥井中納言雅枝 Asukai Masatsune 飛鳥井黄門雅庸 (1569–1616), Shōjō hōin 昭乗法印 = Shōkadō Shōjō 松花堂昭乗 (1584–1639), Jissōin Gison Daisōjo 実相院義尊大僧正 (1601–1661), Ōgimachisanjō dono Sanehide 正親町三条殿実秀 (1598–1671), Shijōin san’I chūnagon Tsunenari 四条院正三位中納言経音 = Ōinomikado Tsunenari 大炊御門経音 (1683–1714), Myōhōin Gyōnen Hōshinnō 妙法院堯然法親王 (1602–61), Takimotobō Shikibu kyō 瀧本坊式部卿 (1582–1639), Shōkadō 松花堂 = Shōkadō Shōjō 松花堂昭乗 (1584–1639), Kurumaya Torikai Dōsetsu 車屋鳥飼 宗晣 (d.1602), Asukai dono Masatsune kyō 飛鳥井殿雅庸卿 (1569–1616), Kazan’in dono Gondainagon 花山院殿 権大納言 (perhaps Kasannoin Sadanori 花山院 定教 (d.1326), Nakanoin Naifu Michimura kō 中院内府通村公 = Nakanoin Michimura 中院通村 (1588-1653), Nanzan inshi Shōkadō 南山隠士松花堂 = Shōkadō Shōjō 松花堂昭乗 (1584–1639), Kuse [or Kuze] san’i chūjō Michitoshi 久世三位中将通俊 (1626–69), Jimyōin Chūjō Mototoki kyō 持明院中将基時卿 = Jimyōin Mototoki 持明院基時 (1635–1704), Asukai Masatsune 飛鳥井雅庸 (1569–1616) ＝Jirakuken 二楽軒, Sanmyakuin 三藐院 = Konoe Nobutada kō 近衛信尹公 (1565–1614), Shōkadō 松花堂 = Shōkadō Shōjō 松花堂昭乗 (1584–1639), Shōkokuji Ōsen oshō 相國寺横川和尚 = Ōsen Keisan 横川景三 (1429–1493), Imagawa Kazusa no suke Ujizane 今川上総介氏真 = Imagawa Ujizane 今川氏真 (1538–1615), Ko Shōren’in dono [The late lord of Shōren’in] 故青蓮院殿 Shōren’in Sonjun Hōshinnō 青蓮院尊純法親王 (1591–1653), Yamazaki Sōkan 山崎宗鑑 志那弥三郎範重, Shina Yasaburō Norishige Nyūdō sōkan 志那弥三郎範重入道宗鑑= Yamazaki Sōkan 山崎宗鑑 (1465–1540), 久世中将 Admiral Higashikuze, 浮田宰相殿 Ukita Saishō dono = Ukita Hideie 宇喜多秀家 (1572–1655), 定法寺殿 公助 Jōhōji-dono Kōjo [or Kimisuke] (1453–1538), Konoe Safu Nobutada kō 近衛左府信尹公 = Konoe Nobutada 近衛信尹 (1565–1614), Shōgoin Dōkō 聖護院道興 (1430-1527), 氏之公 (perhaps Hosokawa Ujiyuki 細川氏之 (1497–1552), Ninagawa dono 蜷川殿 = Ninagawa Shin’emonnojō Chikatoshi 蜷川新右衛門尉親俊 = Ninagawa Chikatoshi 蜷川親俊 (d.1569), Rengashi Satomura shi 連歌師里村氏 [most famous is Satomura Jōha 里村紹巴 (1525–1602); but could be Satomura Genchin 里村玄陳 (1591–1665) Satomura Genjō 里村玄仍 (1571–1607) etc], Konoe Nobuhiro 近衛信尋(1599–1649) Nobutada kōshi 信尹公子 [Nobutada’s son], Genjō 玄仍 Rengashi Satomura 連歌師里村=Satomura Genjō 里村玄仍 (1571–1607), All three say Rengashi Satomura (shi) 連歌師里村(氏) Renga poet of the Satomura (clan), [most famous is Satomura Jōha 里村紹巴 (1525–1602); but could be Satomura Genchin 里村玄陳 (1591–1665) Satomura Genjō 里村玄仍 (1571–1607) etc], Shirakawa San’I Matasakaō 白川三位雅喬王 (1620–1688), All three say Rengashi Satomura (shi) 連歌師里村(氏) Renga poet of the Satomura (clan), [most famous is Satomura Jōha 里村紹巴 1525–1602); but could be Satomura Genchin 里村玄陳 (1591–1665) Satomura Genjō 里村玄仍 (1571–1607) etc], Yotsutsuji Dainagon Suetsugu 四辻大納言季継 (1581–1639) Yotsutsuji Suetsugu kō 四辻殿季継公, Shōren’in dono Sondō 青蓮院殿尊道 = Sondō hōshinnō 尊道法親王 (1332–1403) imperial prince of (Emperor) GoFushimi 後伏見皇子 (1288–1336), Kyoto Shirakawa-ke 京都白川家 , Yamamoto Iga-no-mori Nobusada 山本伊賀守信定, Nakanoin Dainagon Michizumi 中院大納言通純 (1612–53), Kajiidono 梶井殿, Myōhōin miya hōshinnō 妙法院宮 應瀧法親王 , Nakai 魚養 = Ten’yaku no kami 典薬頭 Asano no Sukune Nakai 宿禰朝野魚養= Asano no Nakai 朝野魚養 (Active 787-791), Asukai dono Yoritaka 飛鳥井殿頼孝 (fl. 1516), Kazan’in dono Tadanaga kyō 花山院忠長＝Kazan’in Tadanaga 花山院殿忠長卿 (1588–1622), Sakugen oshō 策彦 和尚 = Tenryūji Sakugen Shūryō 天龍寺策彦周良 (1501–1579) 入唐再渡, Konoe-ie 近衛＊家, Ono Otsū 小野通女 Oda Nobunaga kō jijo 織田信長 侍女 (a lady in waiting for Oda Nobunaga) = Ono Otsū 小野お通 (1568-1631), Asukai dono Masatsune 飛鳥井殿雅康 (1170–1221), Kubō Daichiin dono Yoshimi kyō 公方大智院殿義視卿 = Ashikaga Yoshimi 足利義視 (1439-91), Kennyo 兼如 Rengashi Satomura 連歌師 里村 {I think likely this is Inawashiro Kennyo 猪苗代兼如 d. 1609, who studied renga with Satomura}, Chōshō dono Teikaryū no sho [Calligraphy in the style of Teika] 長嘯殿 定家流ノ書(perhaps Chōshō is Kinoshita Chōshōshi 木下長嘯子 = Kinoshita Katsutoshi 木下勝俊 (1569–1649), Shōkadō 松花堂 (1584–1639), Ōbaku Mokuan shi 黄檗木庵師=Mokuan shōtō 木庵性瑫 (1611–84), Yamashina Tokikuni 山科言國 (1452–1503), Chūnagon [Middle counselor] 中納言, 竹内門跡 覚如 Takeuchi monzeki Kakunyo, Ichijō Kanera (Kaneyoshi) 一条兼良 (1402-81), Nieian 二盈庵 (?) Iyo Matsuyama no hito 伊予松山の人 [a person from Matsuyama in Iyo], Aki Hiroshima Tagaan Nisei Rikugō 安藝廣島多賀庵二世六合 = Rikugō 六合 (d. 1802), Manshuin Ryōjo Hōshinnō 曼殊院良恕法親王 (1575–1643), Iyo Matsuyama 伊予松山, Tauchi Tadafumi 田内董史 (1799–1847), Yōkōin goshinpitsu [The august brush of Yōkōin] 陽光院御宸筆＝Sanehito shinnō 誠仁親王 (1552–86), Iyo Tadafumi tsuma 伊予董史妻=the wife of Tauchi Tadafumi 田内董史 (1799–1847) (apparently her name was Sachiko 幸子), Kūshō Hōshinnō 空性法親王 (1573–1650), Kaga no kuni meika 加賀国 名家 (A famous person/master hand from Kaga), Tōbu Meika 東武名家 (A famous person/master hand from eastern Musashi), Chikumondono 竹門殿 Manshuin Ryōjo Hōshinnō 曼殊院良恕法親王 (1575–1643)
It should be noted that no example of a Tekagami, with all or most of its fragments identified, has been offered at any Western sale or catalog in recent decades.
All of the paintings and calligraphy have been laid down and bound in orihon album format, with plain brownish red covers.
One album in orihon format (40.3 x 24.1 cm), 58 leaves with 196 calligraphy fragments and paintings
This album is in very good shape, with some rubbing and wear to the binding, parts of the covers coming loose at the corners. Some of the fragments have varying degrees of wear and rubbing, with one painting bearing heavier loss.