Artworks

“Daily Tenjin” (Nikka Tenjin)

Artwork · Konoe Nobutada · early 17th century · kakemono

An icon of Kitano Tenjin, the deified Sugawara no Michizane, patron of scholars: Konoe Nobutada (1565–1614), Minister of the Left and regent, one of the Three Master Calligraphers of the Kan’ei era, painted a fresh image of the deity every day. Broad, relaxed ink strokes for the robe, and his confident inscription: “[Kitano Tenjin] is one to whom the destiny of the empire may be entrusted.” A scholar-painter in the Chinese literati tradition. 1 Mason 2005, p. 266, fig. 306. ↩ Literatur Mason 2005: Penelope E. Mason, History of Japanese Art, 2nd, Pearson Education LTD. 2005.