Letter by Sanjonishi Sanetaka 三条西実隆筆書状サンジョウニシサネタカヒツショジョウ

Description

Muromachi nobleman Sanjonishi Sanetaka (1455-1537) was a famed man of culture with the highest academic and cultural achievements of the time. He was born as the second son to the Minister of the Center Kinyasu, but his elder brother Sanetsura died young, so he succeeded to the family headship at the age of 4. At this time, his birth name of Kinsei was changed to Kin-nobu, but that name was later changed to Sanetaka upon his coming of age. He continually climbed the administrative ranks and, in 1506, was appointed the Minister of the Center. Thoroughly familiar with both Chinese and Japanese classics and traditional ways and manners, he devoted himself to the research of ancient literary masterpieces like the Genji Monogatari (Tale of Genji). Succeeding to Ichijo Kaneyoshi (also pronounced as Kanera; 1402-81), Sanjonishi Sanetaka was instrumental in kindling renewed interest for Japanese studies during the Middle Ages of Japan. In waka poetry composition, Sanetaka received private coaching and oral instructions in the secrets of the form from Iio Sogi (1421-1502) and To-no-Tsuneyori (1401-?), thereupon developing his literary talents to their fullest. He and Botanka Shohaku (1443-1527) studied together under the same master. Takeno Jo-ou (1502-55), famed in the chanoyu tea ceremony, was Sanetaka’s disciple. The multi-talented Sanetaka was also an achieved calligrapher. Later called the Sanjo School or Shoyo-in School, his style of calligraphy had many followers. His personal diary, Sanetaka Koki (lit. Lord Sanetaka’s Diary), offers an important glimpse into the history of the latter Muromachi Period. This letter describes the coming-of-age tradition of hagurome (teeth blackening) and mayuhiki (eyebrow shaving) held for Sanetaka’s first daughter, Yasuko (born November 7, 1480), who had turned 11. From the Sanetaka Koki, (lit. Lord Sanetaka’s Diary), one can learn that the coming-of-age ceremony was held on April 11, 1490. This letter indicates that Sanetaka himself performed the ceremonial eyebrow shaving when Yasuko was celebrating her 50th day after being born. But Ashikaga Shogun Yoshimasa died on the 7th of the new year, and the letter makes a reference to that. It is quite unfortunate that the addressee’s name has worn off.