Letter by Taira no Kiyokuni
- Person
-
作者平清邦
- Date
-
制作年 AD12
- Title
- タイラノキヨクニヒツショジョウ
- Collections
- Century Akao Collection
- Depository
- Institute of Oriental Classics (Shido Bunko) Campus Mita
- Ref. number
- AW-CEN-002475-0000
- 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 Font Wood Art Writing
This is a letter expressing gratitude for receiving a gift of fruit, signed by Taira-no-Kiyo-something at the end. The last character of the sender’s name is missing, evidence that this letter is shihai-monjo, writing on waste paper. Pieces of used paper were re-used by writing on their backs, and the bottom part of the letter may have been cut off in the process of book binding. The marks in the center are creases of old leaves of a bound book. The original writing is barely visible and shows a transcription of instructions for a Buddhist service. (It was the instructions that were first written on the paper.)One is left wondering who the sender, Taira-no-Kiyo-somebody, was. The kiwamefuda certification written by Asakura Shigeiru (one of the high-ranking successors to Kohitsu Ryosa, a connoisseur and appreciator of ancient calligraphy) claims this letter was written by Taira-no-Kiyokuni. Kiyokuni was the third son of Fujiwara-no-Kunitsuna (1132-81). Originally, Kunitsuna was a vassal of Kampaku (Regent) Fujiwara-no-Motozane (1143-66), but after Motozane’s demise, he had no friends in the Fujiwara clan. So later, Kunitsuna cultivated ties with Taira-no-Kiyomori (1118-81) and had his son Kiyokuni adopted by Kiyomori. However, not much is known about the life of Kiyokuni and, needless to say, his authentic handwriting. Nevertheless, the consistency and sharpness shown by the elongated lines are filled with profound elegance, true to the spirit of the Hosshoji School (of Fujiwara-no-Tadamichi, 1097-1164), which was widely imitated toward the end of the Heian Period. There is no evidence that this letter represents Kiyokuni’s authentic hand; on the other hand, there is no evidence against this letter being attributed to Kiyokuni. For the time being, out of respect to the Edo Period connoisseur and for lack of evidence proving otherwise, this letter is considered to have been written by Taira-no-Kiyokuni.
（端裏書）「□□法之記全」御菓子如員給候凡面目かきりなき事候不可申尽者也恐恐謹言正月十六日左兵衛尉平清□衆徒御中
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- Title (EN)
- Letter by Taira no Kiyokuni
Physical description
- Weights and quantities
-
Quantity 1幅
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