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Kobori Enshu ( , 小堀遠州) Letter
To Itamiya Sōfu (d. 1630,伊丹屋宗不)
Date of February 27th
Main 16,8×50,5 cm
Hanging scroll / Kakemono
Accessary:wood box
Collection from Kakimori bunko 柿衞文庫旧蔵
A tea master and landscape architect of the early Edo period, and the founder of the Enshu school of tea ceremony. A native of Omi Province, his personal name was Masakazu, and he used the art names Soho and Koho-an; he also held the title of Governor of Totomi (Totomi-no-kami). He served Toyotomi Hideyoshi as well as Tokugawa Ieyasu and Hidetada, acting as a magistrate of public works and demonstrating great talent in architecture and landscape design. He studied the tea ceremony under Furuta Oribe and excelled in waka poetry, calligraphy, and the appraisal of tea utensils; he also provided instruction in ceramics.
【読み】
A letter from Kobori Enshu (Masakazu) to Itamiya Sofu, conveying the message that although he has arrived in Sakai, he is unable to meet with him.
Itamiya Sōfu (d. 1630) was a tea master from Sakai and a disciple of Kobori Enshū. His father, Itamiya Jōmu (Shinpo-an), was also a tea master who had studied under Sen no Rikyū and owned celebrated pieces such as the flower vase named "Shakuhachi." Sōfu held influential positions in Sakai—including *sō-toshiyori* (chief town elder) and *ito-toshiyori* (elder in charge of the raw silk trade)—and wielded significant economic power. He maintained a close friendship with Furuta Oribe and associated widely with eminent monks such as Takuan Sōhō and Kōgetsu Sōgan of Daitoku-ji Temple. This letter is of particular interest as it reveals the close relationship between Kobori Enshū and Itamiya Sōfu, a key figure in the economy of Sakai.
The details are as follows;
It has been quite some time since we last met, and I have missed our contact. I traveled down to Sakai the evening before last for some business. I have matters to attend to in Kyoto and will be heading back up there tomorrow, so I am unable to meet with you on this occasion. I will be sure to let you know if I have the opportunity to travel down to Sakai again.
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Price: 275,000yen(tax included)
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