Letter by Suminokura Soan
- Person
-
作者角倉素庵
- Date
-
制作年 AD17
- Title
- スミノクラソアンヒツショジョウ
- Collections
- Century Akao Collection
- Depository
- Institute of Oriental Classics (Shido Bunko) Campus Mita
- Ref. number
- AW-CEN-001762-0000
- 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 Black Font Monochrome Writing
Suminokura Soan (1571-1632) was a wealthy merchant of Kyoto who lived during the early Edo Period. Succeeding his father, Ryoyi (1554-1614), who was a trader, Soan engaged in wide-ranging business activities that included transportation, civil engineering, warehousing and trade. Thanks to his amassed wealth, his life, devoted to chanoyu (sado, tea ceremony) and Noh drama, was highly sophisticated for a townsman. He was also well-versed in the Chinese and Japanese classics and was a reputed man of refined taste. As a calligrapher, Soan enjoyed a friendship with Hon-ami Koetsu (1558-1637), so he has often been hailed the “best Koetsu follower” of the era. During his heyday (between the ages of 30 and 50), he was instrumental in publishing the so-called Saga-Hon (lit. Sage Edition), books printed on exquisite ryoshi paper, with Koetsu creating the clean copy of the manuscripts for publication.This letter is addressed to Kanze Kokusetsu (1566-1626), the Noh master of the era. Kokusetsu was the 9th general head of the Kanze Troupe, who, enjoying Tokugawa Ieyasu’s patronage, dedicated himself to the development and prosperity of his group, while also devising new Noh chant styles. He was passionately dedicated to the development of this theatrical art. In this letter, Soan says that he has finished transcribing a musical text, a work requested by Doi Toshikatsu (1573-1644), who was a high-ranking officer serving Tokugawa Hidetada. Soan was commissioned to do the work, with Kokusetsu helping as mediator. Soanadds that he will write annotations, such as the date of transcription, scribe’s name, history, etc., on the back of the copy and deliver it in a couple of days. Toshikatsu must have asked Soan to copy the musical text, with added notes, and then write annotations on the back.Since there are only a few extant letters written by Soan, the one shown here is a valuable article, left behind by this versatile man.
以上御状本望至存候如仰此中者用事故取紛無音躰候然者大炊殿うたひ（謡）本奥書之儀今明日之中ニ出来可申候間従是為持可遣之候則本箱うけ取申候恐惶謹言三月廿一日（花押）角与一観左近様御報
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- Letter by Suminokura Soan
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