Shukasho (Gleanings from the Mist)

尊朝法親王写 『拾霞抄』 冊子本 紙本墨書 文禄2年

This elegant book is a later copy of a secret calligraphy manual first created in 1343. The book contains various terms—written entirely in Chinese characters— that might be used in letters or other writings. The pages shown here contain categories and titles of musical pieces and dances of Gagaku (court music) and Kagura (sacred shrine dances), divided into appropriate categories.

Calligraphy such as this in the Japanese (wayo) style is associated with the aristocracy and is often executed on decorated paper. In this book, the pages have been hand painted in gold with under drawings of natural motifs: here, willow on the right page and miscanthus grass on the left.

The prototype for this book was made for a prized pupil by the imperial Tonsured Prince Son'en (1298–1356), founder of the Shoren'in school of calligraphy. Later generation heads of the school continued to use texts such as this, sometimes making copies for private use by their most accomplished students—usually courtiers or elite samurai. The calligrapher of this copy, Prince Soncho, was the eighth-generation descendent of Son'en and started his own branch of the school. He was calligraphy teacher to luminaries such as Hon'ami Koetsu and Shokado Shojo.

The text is written in elegant semicursive (gyosho) script, recommended by the Shoren'in school for its beginning calligraphy students. Access to this secret manual would allow students to master special characteristics of the Shoren'in style of writing.