Letter to Isshi Monju

Written from right to left on horizontal letter paper using an informal cursive hand, this personal correspondence by the courtier Karasumaru Mitsuhiro was sent to a Zen monk named Isshi Monju (1608–1646). The manuscript is now mounted as a hanging scroll suitable for use in the tearoom.

Mitsuhiro was a poet and a celebrated calligrapher, who was renowned for his strong, individualistic calligraphy style. Here, he writes: “My old body suffers from the cold, which is worse than heat. I am worried that you are now in an area known for even worse winter weather.” After writing the message in a large script, Mitsuhiro returns to the beginning of the paper and fills in the space with a poem he composed to express his concern over his young but frail mentor. The practice of adding writing to fill the space between the lines may have begun simply as a means to economize on paper, but in this work the calligrapher has also used it to create an interesting visual contrast between dark and light shades of ink.

The reference to winter and the poem alluding to the fragility of life might set the tone for a somber, reflective mood in the tearoom and makes this scroll appropriate for a late autumn or early winter tea gathering when all forms of life and nature are fading.