Two Large Characters Denoting “Chastity” by Tokugawa Tsunayoshi
- Person
-
作者徳川綱吉
- Date
-
制作年 AD17
- Title
- トクガワツナヨシヒツテイソウニダイジ
- Collections
- Century Akao Collection
- Depository
- Institute of Oriental Classics (Shido Bunko) Campus Mita
- Ref. number
- AW-CEN-000831-0000
- 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
- Black Art Font Handwriting Monochrome
Tokugawa Tsunayoshi (1646-1709) was the fifth Shogun of the military government (shogunate) in Edo and was born as the fourth son of the third Shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu (1604-1651). When his older brother, Ietsuna (1641-1680), died in 1680, Tsunayoshi succeeded to this supreme commander’s post. With full control over the government and strict reform measures under way, the early years of Tsunayoshi’s regime were a great success. However, the latter part of his rule was a spectacular failure, especially after the death of his chief policy strategist and chief minister (tairo), Hotta Masatoshi (1634-1684). Tsunayoshi adopted Buddhist and Neo-Confucian teachings in politics. His popularity sank rapidly after issuing the Order for Compassion to Animals (Shorui Awaremi no Rei), known as one of the worst laws enacted in history, and also by circulating base-quality coins. On the other hand, the waning military authority led to the rise of the merchant middle class, which became the driving force behind spectacular social and cultural developments. The Genroku Era during the early Edo Period witnessed unprecedented developments in thought and art. Shogun Tsunayoshi’s brushwork shows two large characters that denote “Chastity” and is an unusual extant work. The bold letters are balanced well with a slogan: “The pine tree lives a thousand years enduring hardships like winds and snow.”Tsunayoshi wrote each line and made each stroke with the utmost care in the block script. The signature, which reads “Tsunayoshi, the Minister of the Interior,” is affixed at the bottom left corner. It was written after 1680, the year the 35-year-old Tsunayoshi was appointed to this office by the Emperor. The signature is simple and typical of Tsunayoshi’s hand. The last poem is a copy from the Record of Linji (Jp. Rinzai Roku). It offers an answer to the question: “What is the absolute ruler’s life like?”
“Chastity” The ruler’s life is lonely, but is also comparable to that of an elderly gentleman carrying a twig of flowers, enjoying peace and security in the world.
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- Title (EN)
- Two Large Characters Denoting “Chastity” by Tokugawa Tsunayoshi
Physical description
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Quantity 1幅
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