Sawada Touko - Sawada Touko

A calligrapher of the Tang style in the mid-Edo period. Born in Edo, his family name was Minamoto, clan name was Sawada, given name was Narabu, pen name was Bunryu, and nickname was Bunjiro, which was the name of Toko. His other names were Raikin-do, Seira-kan, and Tamashima-sanjin. He first studied Zhu Xi philosophy under Hayashi Hokoku, and learned calligraphy from Kou Isai, the younger brother of Kou Ten-i. At that time, the Tang style of Kitajima Setsuzan and Hosoi Koutaku, who followed the model of Wen Zhengming of the Ming Dynasty, was all the rage, and Toko followed that trend, but from middle age onwards he advocated a return to the calligraphy of the Han, Wei, Jin, and Tang dynasties, and opened up a new front in the Tang style of that time. In particular, his calligraphy, based on the calligraphy of Wang Xizhi, became known as the Dongjiang style and spread, and he was also skilled in seal carving. He wrote many books on calligraphy, including "Shoshu," "Showa," "Shosoku," and "Shogakusen." The appendix to "Showa by Togji Sensei," compiled by his disciple Keikitsu Hashimoto, clearly shows Togji's insistence on returning to the classics.

[Shoichi Kuboki]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸中期の唐様(からよう)の書家。江戸の人で、姓は源、氏は沢田、名を鱗(ならぶ)、字(あざな)を文龍(ぶんりゅう)、通称を文治郎といい、東江はその号。別号に来禽堂(らいきんどう)、青蘿館(せいらかん)、玉島山人がある。初め林鳳谷(はやしほうこく)門下で朱子学を学び、書は高天漪(こうてんい)の弟高頤斎(こういさい)に学んだ。当時、明(みん)の文徴明(ぶんちょうめい)を規範とした北島雪山(せつざん)、細井広沢(こうたく)らの唐様が風靡(ふうび)し、東江もその流風に従ったが、中年以後は漢魏晋唐(かんぎしんとう)の書への復帰を唱え、当時の唐様に新生面を開いた。とくに王羲之(おうぎし)の書法に基づくその書は、東江流とよばれて広まり、また篆刻(てんこく)も巧みであった。『書述』『書話』『書則』『書学筌(しょがくせん)』など書道に関する著書も多く、門下の橋本圭橘(けいきつ)が編んだ『東江先生書話』の付録には、東江の古典復帰の主張がよく示されている。

［久保木彰一］

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