The honorific “Three Brushes of the Kan’ei Era” was given to Shōkadō Shōjō, Hon’ami Kōetsu (1558–1637), and Konoe Nobutada (1565–1614), all of whom were active in the Kyoto area. Both Shōjō, a Shingon monk, and Kōetsu, who worked as a ceramist and lacquer designer, turned to the painter Tawaraya Sōtatsu and his studio to create underpaintings for their calligraphic work. Here, Shōjō transcribed an ancient poem exalting the emperor by Ōnakatomi no Yoshinobu (921–991). The choice of poem and Shōjō’s fluid kana calligraphy reflect the renewed interest in classical literature that blossomed around the early 1600s.
Chitose made kagireru matsu mo kyō yori wa kimi hikarete yorozuyo ya hemu
Though pine trees may live a thousand years, the pine shoot plucked by His Majesty, however, will flourish forever. –Trans. John T. Carpenter
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With mounting, rollers, and knobs
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松花堂昭乗書・伝俵屋宗達下絵 和歌色紙
Title:Poem by Onakatomi Yoshinobu with Underpainting of Hollyhocks
Artist:Calligraphy by Shōkadō Shōjō (Japanese, 1584?–1639)
Artist: Underpainting attributed to Tawaraya Sōtatsu (Japanese, ca. 1570–ca. 1640)
Period:Edo period (1615–1868)
Date:early 17th century
Culture:Japan
Medium:Poem card (shikishi) mounted as a hanging scroll; ink, gold, and silver on colored paper
Dimensions:Image: 7 15/16 x 6 15/16 in. (20.2 x 17.6 cm) Overall with mounting: 53 1/4 x 20 5/8 in. (135.3 x 52.4 cm) Overall with knobs: 53 1/4 x 23 in. (135.3 x 58.4 cm)
Classification:Paintings
Credit Line:Purchase, Mrs. Jackson Burke Gift, 1979
Chitose made (Even the pines that last a thousand years- Kagireru matsu mo How many generations will they live after Kyo yori wa you have pulled them up?) Kimi ni hikarete Yorozu yo ya hemu (Translation by Andrew Pekarik)
[ S. Yabumoto Co., Ltd. Japanese, Tokyo, until 1979; sold to MMA]
New York. Japan Society Gallery. "Japanese Calligraphy from Western Collections," October 4, 1984–January 6, 1985.
Kansas City. Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. "Japanese Calligraphy from Western Collections," February 15, 1985–March 31, 1985.
Seattle Art Museum. "Japanese Calligraphy from Western Collections," May 9, 1985–July 14, 1985.
New Haven. Yale University Art Gallery. "Word in Flower: The Visualization of Classical Literature in 17th Century Japan," September 22, 1989–November 12, 1989.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Tea Ceremony Wares of Mino: Shino and Oribe," 1992.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Seasonal Pleasures in Japanese Art (Part One)," October 12, 1995–April 28, 1996.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Masterpieces from the Permanent Collection," July 2–November 29, 2005.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Graceful Gestures: Two Decades of Collecting Japanese Art," 2007.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "A Drama of Eyes and Hands: Sharaku's Portraits of Kabuki Actors," September 20, 2007–March 24, 2008.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Poetry and Travel in Japanese Art," December 18, 2008–May 31, 2009.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "A Beautiful Country: Yamato-e in Japanese Art," November 20, 2010–June 5, 2011.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Designing Nature: The Rinpa Aesthetic in Japanese Art," May 26, 2012–January 13, 2013.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Celebrating the Arts of Japan: The Mary Griggs Burke Collection," October 20, 2015–May 14, 2017.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Kyoto: Capital of Artistic Imagination," July 24, 2019–January 31, 2021.
Tokyo Kokuritsu Bunkazai Kenkyūjo 東京国立文化財研究所, ed. Nyūyōku Metoroporitan Bijutsukan, kaiga, chōkoku ニューヨークメトロポリタン美術館，絵画・彫刻 (Painting and sculpture of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York) Kaigai shozai Nihon bijutsuhin chōsa hōkoku 海外所在日本美術品調查報告 (Catalogue of Japanese art in foreign collections) 1. Tokyo: Kobunkazai Kagaku Kenkyūkai, 1991, p. 93, cat. no. 276.1.
Carpenter, John T. Designing Nature: The Rinpa Aesthetic in Japanese Art. Exh. cat. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2012, p. 68, cat. no. 12.
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