Reed hand - ashide

Along with Kusagana, Hiragana, and Katakana, this is one of the kana writing styles that was created during the Heian period. The word can be found in "Tentoku 4th Year Imperial Court Poetry Contest" (960), "The Tale of Genji" and "Eiga Monogatari", and various theories have been put forward about this ashide since Ichijo Kaneyoshi (1402-1482). However, it is listed as a single style in "Utsubo Monogatari" and "Shin Sarugakuki", and is interpreted as a playful style of writing that depicts the meaning of poetry through painting. Among its remains is the "Ashide Utagire" (now owned by the Tokugawa Reimeikai and others), which is said to have been written by Fujiwara no Kinto in the late 11th century, and it is used as a motif for the underdrawing of writing paper in the 12th century "Honganjihon Thirty-six Nin Kashu" (Genshinshu) and "Heike Nokyo" (cover of "Gonnohon" and others). From the Kamakura period onwards, it was also used to decorate furniture, costumes and decorative swords.

[Shoichi Kuboki]

"Kana" by Shigemi Komatsu (Iwanami Shinsho)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

草がな、平仮名、片仮名とともに、平安時代に生まれた仮名書体の一つ。『天徳(てんとく)四年内裏歌合(だいりうたあわせ)』（960）をはじめ、『源氏物語』『栄花物語』などにそのことばがみられ、一条兼良(いちじょうかねら)（1402―1482）以来、この葦手について諸説が出されてきた。だが、『うつほ物語』『新猿楽記(しんさるがくき)』では一つの書体としてあげられており、歌意を表す絵画化された遊戯的な書体と解される。その遺品として、11世紀後半の伝藤原公任(ふじわらのきんとう)筆『葦手歌切(あしでうたぎれ)』（徳川黎明会(とくがわれいめいかい)蔵ほか）があり、12世紀の『本願寺本三十六人家集』（元真集）や『平家納経』（『厳王品(ごんのうほん)』表紙ほか）では料紙の下絵モチーフとして用いられている。また鎌倉時代以降は、調度品、衣装、飾太刀(かざりたち)の装飾にも使用された。

［久保木彰一］

『小松茂美著『かな』（岩波新書）』

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