Letter by Kobori Enshu
- Person
-
作者小堀遠州
- Date
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制作年 AD17
- Title
- コボリエンシュウヒツショジョウ
- Collections
- Century Akao Collection
- Depository
- Institute of Oriental Classics (Shido Bunko) Campus Mita
- Ref. number
- AW-CEN-000626-0002
- 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 Font Rectangle Paper Paper product
Kobori Enshu (1579-1647) had several names; his real name was Masakazu, but he used the pseudonym Soho for artistic endeavors and also called himself “Koho-An.” He originated the Enshu-style tea ceremony and was admired as one of the three greatest tea masters of Japan, the other two being Sen-no-Rikyu and Furuta Oribe. In 1608, Kobori Masakazu was appointed Lord of Ohmi (today’s Shizuoka Prefecture) and was called Enshu thereafter. (“Enshu” is synonymous with Ohmi Province.) A man of multiple talents, highly successful landscape designer among them, Kobori Enshu patterned his calligraphic style after the orthodox Teika Style (originated by Fujiwara-no-Teika; 1162-1241).In this letter, Enshu reports that he was commissioned by Matsudaira Nobutsuna (1598-1662) to lay foundation rocks for a pond being put in the garden. The addressee, Tozayemon, is likely one of the masons involved in the garden landscaping. Enshu asks the letter’s recipient to also ask Honsei (unidentified) to come over in the afternoon, if he is feeling any better. Hansei is likely a gardener, perhaps, and Tozayemon’s colleague.Matsudaira Nobutsuna was appointed Lord of Lower Izu in 1623. In the military government, he was one of the Senior Counselors, along with Hotta Masamori (1608-51) and others, and was involved in the highest levels of decision-making. He was nicknamed the “Wise Lord of Izu.” Thoroughly familiar with chanoyu (also called sado, art of tea, “way of tea,” ceremonial tea, etc.), he often received gifts of artistic tea utensils from the Shogun’s family. Enshu seems to have cultivated Nobutsuna’s friendship through chanoyu and, thus, must have helped him with landscape gardening, in which Enshu was a genius.
松平伊豆殿より泉水のね石すへ申度候由三四郎殿如此被申越候間参てすへ可申候はんせいも少気相よく候ハゝひるから成共参候へと可申候 かしく遠江藤左門まいる
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- Letter by Kobori Enshu
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