5. Yosa Buson (1716-1783)Nanga
Letter from Buson to Taiga including a haiku and a drawing of a kuzu bottleSigned: Yahantei Buson
Seals:
Technique: umi on paper, 28.6 x 55.3
Date: 09-06-(1775?)
Mounting: silk fabric and greyblue silk
119.5 x 58.1
Box: double box with futomaki (roller clamp)
Condition: very good
一寸拝見、夕ふべのすずみ今にすずしく覚え候。月渓に聞かせ候所、噺さへすずしとがり候。うら山しがり候。一つ三陽の名士比叡の麓にかくれて、生涯富の小川の清きをわたらじとかや。やつがれはこれに返るやとおかしく候。
六月九日 夜半亭、蕪村
東山大雅々君
葛水にうつしてうれし老の顔
今夕彼方へ出かけ候や。丸山氏も同道のつもり。月居は丁ちんの替りに是様に御とものよし。申し居り候也。
Hello,
Now in the twilight it feels cool where I am. I told Gekkei about this place and even telling him had a cooling effect. It is on the shady side of the mountain. A well-known person [Ishikawa Jozan (1583-1672)] from Sanyô had retired at the foot of mount Hiei. During his lifetime he must have crossed the clear water of the Tomi brook often. Is it strange that I might return?
The ninth of the sixth, Yahantei Buson to the noble gentleman Taiga at Higashiyama.
[Haiku:] The kuzu water reflects my happy old face.
I may come to see you this evening and Mr. Maruyama [Ôkyo] has the same plan. I guess it is okay that [Emori] Gekkyo [(1756-1824)] is accompanying this gentleman instead of another distinguished guest.
Yours sincerely.
Authorized on february, 22 ,1969 by Wada Tokuichi (born 1900), an expert on old Japanese literature. He wrote a book on Bashô and haiku in Etchû. Kondô Ichiyû wrote his biography.
Buson was a painter as well as a haiku poet and equally proficient in both disciplines. Together with Taiga (1723-1776) he is known as one the establishers of Nanga painting and the bunjin movement; as a haiku poet he is considered the true successor of Matsuo Bashō (1644-1694) and along with Bashō and Kobayashi Issa (1763–1828), he is regarded among the greatest poets of the Edo Period.
Apart from his landscapes, he is notable for the empathy and social-mindedness of his paintings of human figures.
Buson was born in the village of Kema in Settsu Province (now Kema-chō, Miyakojima Ward in Osaka city).
Around the age of 20, Buson moved to Edo accompanying Hayano Hajin (Yahantei) (1676–1742), a haiku student of Enomoto Kikaku (1661–1707) who had studied with Bashô. After Hajin died, Buson moved to Ibaraki prefecture and in 1743 travelled to northern Honshū following in the footsteps of Bashō on “The Narrow Road to the Interior”, Oku no Hosomichi. After his retrurn at the age of 36 (1751) Buson returned to Kyoto to study paintings and became strongly influenced by Sakaki Hyakusen (1698-1752). Six years later he definately settled down in Kyoto and married three years later. In 1772 Go Shun (1752-1811) and Ki Baitei (1734-1810) moved in as uchi deshi (resident student). The last decade he suffered severe illness problems. At the end of his life both Go Shun and Baitei returned to help him and his family.
Reference:
Buson Zenshû vol. 6
Itsuo 2003
Miho 2008
Miho 2015
French ‘74
etc.
Price: EUR 14,500 / USD 17,110