Letter to Suwa Daishin, Officer of the Shogun
The letter, composed in formal Chinese, is brushed in a brusque but crisp, elegant, and legible style appropriate for correspondence between men of high social status. The Rinzai Zen monk’s handwritten seal (kaō) adds a touch of scribal flair to the perfunctory administrative message. Though it lacks any religious or literary content, the handwriting of an eminent Zen monk would have made the letter suitable for display in a tea ceremony alcove, and it was remounted in elegant silks. The textile motif of magpies and plum is auspicious since in Chinese the words sound like the phrase meaning “may you have happiness up to your eyebrows.”
Musō Soseki, a high-ranking Rinzai Zen Buddhist monk, sent this letter, dated the eighteenth day of the third month (year unspecified), to Suwa Daishin, an official of the Ashikaga shogunate. The letter mentions that the shogunate had previously sent Soseki a letter regarding the management or ownership of a parcel of land in Awata (perhaps referring to Awata district, in present-day Kyoto, where Nanzenji is located). He requests the official to respond with alacrity to the order. It seems that Awata was part of the land allocated to Sūtoku’an Temple, so we can assume that Soseki was connected to the temple.
Musō Soseki, a high-ranking Rinzai Zen Buddhist monk, sent this letter, dated the eighteenth day of the third month (year unspecified), to Suwa Daishin, an official of the Ashikaga shogunate. The letter mentions that the shogunate had previously sent Soseki a letter regarding the management or ownership of a parcel of land in Awata (perhaps referring to Awata district, in present-day Kyoto, where Nanzenji is located). He requests the official to respond with alacrity to the order. It seems that Awata was part of the land allocated to Sūtoku’an Temple, so we can assume that Soseki was connected to the temple.
Artwork Details
- 夢窓疎石筆 消息
- Title: Letter to Suwa Daishin, Officer of the Shogun
- Artist: Musō Soseki (Japanese, 1275–1351)
- Period: Nanbokuchō period (1336–92)
- Date: ca. 1339–51
- Culture: Japan
- Medium: Hanging scroll; ink on paper
- Dimensions: Image: 11 5/16 × 14 1/16 in. (28.7 × 35.7 cm)
Overall with mounting: 44 1/2 × 18 1/2 in. (113 × 47 cm)
Overall with knobs: 44 1/2 × 20 1/4 in. (113 × 51.4 cm) - Classification: Calligraphy
- Credit Line: Gift of Sylvan Barnet and William Burto, in honor of John T. Carpenter, 2014
- Object Number: 2014.719.12
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Musō Soseki
14th century
Musō Soseki
early to mid-14th century
Monk Saigyō
late 12th century
Fujiwara no Yukinari (Kōzei)
11th century
Unidentified artist
ca. 1383
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.