Page 234 - JAPAN THE SHAPING OFDAIMYO CULTURE 1185-1868

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139 Studies of animals and insects vated an herbal garden. In private life, he captured and sketched. These sketches
attributed to Hosokawa Shigekata was a poet, calligrapher, and, in particular, were made between 1756 and 1785. Three
(1720-1785) an artist known for his carefully drawn leaves are illustrated here. Pages of the
two albums; ink and color on paper studies of the natural world. Like his con- smaller album are filled with studies of in-
animal album 22.0 x 30.0 (8s/s x ii3/ 4); temporaries Masuyama Sessai, daimyo of sects, thirty-seven species in all, each
insect album 27.3 x 20.4 (103/4 x 8) a domain in Ise (cat. 138), and Satake Sho- showing different stages of growth. YS
Edo period, 1756-1785 zan, daimyo of the Akita domain in north-
ern Honshu (cats. 136,137), Shigekata left
Eisei Bunko, Tokyo
albums of studies of animals, insects, and
plants. Ten such albums are kept in the
Hosokawa Shigekata, an eighteenth- Eisei Bunko, two of which are shown in
century daimyo of Higo Province (today's this exhibition.
Kumamoto Prefecture), is credited with The larger album contains studies of
enlightened and humanitarian policies animal species. The illustrations have
during his thirty-nine-year rule. In 1754 he been cut from either a booklet or a
established two schools within the Kuma- handscroll and pasted on the album's
moto Castle precinct, one for martial arts leaves, which are dyed reddish brown with
and one for Confucian studies. He abol- persimmon juice. Each work is accompa-
ished harsh corporal punishment for crim- nied by an inscription, either written di-
inals and instituted a humane penal code. rectly on the work or on an attached piece
He founded a medical school and culti- of paper, identifying the species and giving
the date and place where it was seen or

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