Portion of a Poetry Anthology: Cicada, from Shinsen Roeishu - Konoe Nobutada

A refined example of Momoyama period calligraphy by Konoe Nobutada, featuring expressive ink characters set against a gold-dusted paper background.

This work is a fragment of the Shinsen Roeishu, a collection of poetry transcribed by the Japanese court noble and calligrapher Konoe Nobutada. Nobutada was a member of the San-seki, or the Three Brushes of the Kanei era, a group of calligraphers recognised for their mastery of the brush. His style is distinct for its bold, expressive, and often idiosyncratic character forms, which depart from the more rigid traditions of earlier periods.

The calligraphy is executed in a fluid, rhythmic hand that balances the weight of the ink against the decorative background. The paper itself is prepared with a dusting of gold, providing a luminous surface that interacts with the dark, sweeping strokes of the ink. At the base of the composition, small, stylised floral motifs are painted in muted blue and green tones, providing a subtle visual anchor for the vertical columns of text. These decorative elements are typical of the Momoyama period, where the integration of fine calligraphy with elaborate paper decoration became a hallmark of aristocratic artistic production.

Nobutada’s approach to the page is dynamic. He allows the ink to vary in density, creating a sense of movement that mirrors the poetic content. The cicada, a common motif in Japanese literature, often serves as a symbol of the changing seasons or the fleeting nature of time. By combining the literary tradition of the Roeishu with his own calligraphic innovation, Nobutada created a work that functions as both a record of classical poetry and a visual object of high aesthetic value. The interplay between the dark, assertive characters and the shimmering gold ground demonstrates the sophisticated taste of the Japanese court during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries.