Letter by Shokado Shojo
- Person
-
作者松花堂昭乗
- Date
-
制作年 AD17
- Title
- ショウカドウショウジョウヒツショウソク
- Materials, techniques and shape
- 絹本淡彩
- Collections
- Century Akao Collection
- Depository
- Institute of Oriental Classics (Shido Bunko) Campus Mita
Shokado Shojo (1584-1639) was a Buddhist priest of the Shingon Sect during the Edo Period. He also called himself Seisei-O. After becoming Takimoto-bo Jitsujo’s disciple, Shojo succeeded his master to become head priest of the Takimoto-bo sub-temple. Later, Shojo conceded his post to one of his disciples and retired to the newly-built Shokado sub-temple. His deep virtues and charismatic personality earned him numerous followers and friendships with Confucian scholars, Zen monks and other intellectuals of the age. Notable among them were Konoe Nobutada (1599-1649), Ishikawa Jozan (1583-1672), Kogetsu Sogan (1574-1643), and Takuan Soho (1573-1645). Shojo studied the Oieryu School (lit. “honorable family school,” also Oie School) of Japanese-style wayo calligraphy under Soncho Hosshinno (an imperial prince who resided at a Buddhist temple), but it was the great Kobo Daishi (Priest Kukai) who Shojo truly admired, favoring the Daishi Style. After mastering this style, Shojo perfected an elegant, free-flowing style of brushwork, which was later renowned as the Shokado School, or Takimoto School, of calligraphy. The name of the addressee is missing from the scroll. Shojo tells the addressee, whoever it is, that the tea scoop (a tea ceremony utensil) that he asked Kobori Enshu to make will be completed in a day or two. According to the letter, Shojo had obtained a piece of rare bamboo for making the utensil. Kobori Enshu, a close friend of Shojo’s, was the originator of Enshu Style sado (lit. “way of tea,” tea ceremony) and one of the most celebrated tea masters of the time. Shojo signed this letter “Takimoto-bo,” indicating that it was written between 1627, when he became head priest at Takimoto-bo at age 44, and 1637, when at age 54 he passed on this position to his disciple Jojun.
尚々この十八夜ハ 彦左殿登山之由先日は月坊殿よりにて立寄るへくとのめつらしき竹書状に候御方様ニ申候被遣候而遠州へ茶御隙存明候は御入来杓之御たのみ小僧へ所希候為持遣尤候両日申出来致へくと存申候其折可入御覧入候かしく霜月十五日滝本坊（花押）
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- Title (EN)
- Letter by Shokado Shojo
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Quantity 1幅
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