Letter by Hon-ami Koetsu
- Person
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作者本阿弥光悦
- Date
-
制作年 AD17
- Title
- ホンアミコウエツヒツショジョウ
- Collections
- Century Akao Collection
- Depository
- Institute of Oriental Classics (Shido Bunko) Campus Mita
- Ref. number
- AW-CEN-000138-0000
- License
- CC BY Images license
- Creditline
-
慶應義塾（センチュリー赤尾コレクション）
- URL
- Classification
- Art
- AI Tagging
- Handwriting Rectangle Wood Font Art
Hon-ami Koetsu (1558-1637) was both a calligrapher and artisan active between the late Momoyama Period and the early Edo Period. He was born into the Hon-ami family, which for generations had engaged in polishing, cleaning and appreciating Japanese swords. When his father, Koji, established his own house, breaking away from the main Hon-ami lineage, Koetsu was, more or less, released from the traditional family profession.As such, Koetsu established an art village in Takaga-Mine, where he devoted himself to ink-and-brush painting, makie (sprinkled pictures) and pottery making, which resulted in numerous works of fine art. In calligraphy, he was hailed as one of the ‘Three Brushes of the Kanei Era’, meaning one of the three most outstanding calligraphers of that timeDuring the Keicho Era (1596-1615), Koetsu created calligraphic works on lavishly decorated ryoshi paper, painted by Tawaraya Sotatsu and, expounding the Jodai (classical) Style, exhibited an outstanding fluent and elegant brush strokes. In the following Genna Era (1615-24), however, one can see the obvious influence of China’s Song Dynasty styles as transmitted by calligraphers like Zhang Jinzhi (1186-1266) and Priest Kukai (774-835). The resultant style is characterized by extremely varied thick and thin lines, which were later hailed as the Koetsu School and attracted numerous followers, including Suminokura Soan (1571-1632), Kojima Soshin (1580-1655?), and Ogata Soken (1621-87).In chado (also sado, tea ceremony; way of tea), Koetsu trained under Master Furuta Oribe (1544-1615) and was an outstanding disciple, comparable to Kobori Enshu (1579-1647). This letter was sent to Koetsu’s adopted heir, Kosa (1578-1637), accompanying a gift of salmon, which Koetsu had himself received earlier from the Hon-ami family’s head house in Edo.Koetsu says that he is feeling quite well and is absorbed in calligraphic creation. As a closing note, he adds that he is planning to travel to Kyoto, either on September 30th or October 1st, from which one can assume that Koetsu was living in Takaga-Mine, and Kosa, in Kyoto. One can also assume that Koetsu, who addresses the letter “To Elderly Kosa”, was quite old by the time of this letter’s writing, being he was 20 years Kosa’s senior.
従江戸上申候間鮭 進入候拙者気相能物をかき申候可御心易候晦日朔日時分可令出京候かしく九ノ廿五日光悦（花押）［封］光瑳老 光悦（花押）座下
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- Title (EN)
- Letter by Hon-ami Koetsu
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Quantity 1幅
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