詞書の筆跡からみた金蓮寺本『遊行上人縁起絵』の位相

The Ippen hijiri-e illustrated handscrolls depicting the biography of priest Ippen (1239-1289) are the first that come to mind when one considers the handscroll paintings of the medieval Jishû sect. This set consists of twelve scrolls and has often been the subject of study thanks to its position as a renowned medieval period illustrated handscroll set. Conversely, the Yugyô shonin engi-e, or illustrated biography handscrolls of Ippen and disciple Shinkyô, is a much less familiar work, and has only very rarely been the subject of study. The set of scrolls was produced eight years after the Ippen hijiri-e and consists of ten scrolls. The first four scrolls present Ippen’s biography, while the fifth scroll onwards present the biography of Shinkyô (1237-1319), who was Ippen’s follower and the second patriarch of the Jishû sect. However, the original version of the scrolls is lost, and the examples extant today are all transcriptions of the original. The Konrenji version, the subject of this article, is one such transcription. Each of the scrolls in the Konrenji version is divided into a two-scroll set. The hand seen in the texts on each twoscroll sets for scrolls 1 through 9 is all the same. Conversely, the hand differs in the first and second scrolls of scroll 10. The end of the second scroll of scroll 10 bears a colophon that the author attributes to Sanjô Kintada. However, the paintings and texts of scroll 10 were at some point in the past separated from the colophon and made into separate handscrolls. After the paintings and texts of scroll 10 were lost in some unknown circumstances, this missing scroll 10 was supplemented by an extant, other scroll, and the colophon, which had been made originally to go with a different scroll, was pasted onto the end of that scroll, making the present-day scroll 10. Here the author has examined the calligraphy handwriting in the texts of each of the scrolls, and concluded that the calligraphers of each scroll are as follows. Scroll 1: Rokujô Arimitsu (1310-after 1358) Scroll 2: Prince Son’en (1298-1356) Scroll 3: Same hands as the Aki-gire fragments of superb 　　　　 medieval calligraphy Scroll 4: Sanjô Kintada (1324-1384) Scrolls 5, 6, 7: Unknown hand, but all the same hand Scroll 8: Sanjô Kintada Scroll 9: Sanjô Kintada Scroll 10: Transferred from a different work Of note here is the previously mentioned construct of the Yugyô scrolls. Scrolls 1 through 4 present an illustrated biography of Ippen, while scrolls 5 onwards present the illustrated biography of Shinkyô. With that information in mind, if we consider which scrolls Sanjô Kintada was responsible for, we can see that the text on the last scroll related to Ippen, scroll 4, was brushed by Kintada. Conversely, scroll 5 and onwards are about Shinkyô. While the present-day scroll 10 was transferred from another work, the colophon attached to the end of that scroll was written by Kintada. Thus we can posit that Kintada was responsible for the first and second scrolls of the original scroll 10, and also wrote the colophon. If we accept that hypothesis, the person who wrote the texts on the first half of the Shinkyô-related scrolls, namely scrolls 5, 6 and 7, is unknown, but judging from the brush work, the same hand. Then Kintada was responsible for the texts on the remaining three scrolls, scrolls 8, 9, and 10. All of these factors suggest that Sanjô Kintada was a central figure in the transcription of the texts on the Konrenji version. Unfortunately we cannot at this point identify the calligrapher of the texts on scrolls 5, 6 and 7. And yet, given that the calligrapher of those three scrolls shared the responsibility for the texts of the Shinkyô biography with Sanjô Kintada, a high ranking figure of the day, we can presume that the person responsible for scrolls 5, 6 and 7 must have been another talented calligrapher of aristocratic or imperial household rank and position similar to that of Kintada. In terms of a method for determining the production date of the Konrenji version, we can first step away from examining the painting style in each of the scenes as a method, and rather turn to the characteristics of the calligraphers who were specifically responsible for the texts on each scroll. We can narrow in on a production date by considering the activity periods of the calligraphers involved. Of the calligraphers identified in this process, Son’en died in 1356, and thus naturally we can say that the Konrenji version was produced prior to his death. The author has previously posited that the Bukkôji version of the Shinran den-e scroll was produced around the middle of the 1350s and that Sanjô Kintada wrote its texts. The identification of Kintada as the hand behind the texts on scrolls 4, 8 and 9 of the Konrenji version is based on the fact that the calligraphy handwriting on these scrolls is extremely close to that seen on the Bukkôji version scrolls. Thus the author considers that it is likely that the Konrenji version scrolls were produced not far off the completion of the Bukkôji Shinran den-e scrolls. This presumption is thus consistent with the belief that the Konrenji version was produced before 1356. Given these factors, the transfer of the first and second scrolls of the Konrenji version scroll 10 from a different work is noteworthy. The calligraphy handwriting seen on the first and second scrolls of scroll 10 can also be found in the Konrenji alternate version, the Konkôji version, the Kontaiji version, Joshôji version and the Yûgyôji versions of the scrolls. These are all the extant main versions of the Yugyô shonin engi-e, which has been dated to the 14th century. In other words, how are we to consider the precedence relationship between these works and the Konrenji version? In this instance, when we consider the painting form and style of these scrolls, we first notice that there is an extremely close connection between the depiction of the figures who appear in the Konrenji alternate version scroll and the Bukkôji Shinran den-e scrolls. This similarity appears not only in the face outlines, but also in the pale red shading used on the cheeks beneath the eyes, which are extremely close in handling. Thus we can suggest that not much time had elapsed between their production. On the other hand, the facial depiction of the figures that appear in the Joshôji version seem to be a continuation and development of the expression found in the Bukkôji version of the Shinran den-e. Further, the depiction that occurs in each of the Joshôji version scenes is based on both the same texts in the Konrenji version and those of the other extant versions, while the compositions and arrangement of figures differ. The Toyama Memorial Museum version dated to 1381 is extremely close in terms of iconography, in addition to composition and figural placement, to that found in the Joshôji version. It would be extremely difficult to consider that they were produced without some connection. Considering these facts as a whole, the Bukkôji version of the Shinran den-e and the Konrenji version were produced not too far apart sometime after the middle of the 14th century, and then a succession of extant versions of the Yugyô shonin engi-e were created after that. Among these works, the Kontaiji version and the Konkôji version carefully continue the iconography, close to the original. Previously there has been the tendency to date these two sets as older than the Konrenji version, based on the older style of their iconography, but in the course of examining the calligraphy handwriting seen in these texts, the author concluded that the Kontaiji version and the Konkôji version were produced after the Konrenji version. The identification of the calligraphy hands seen in these texts, in combination with an examination of the painting styles of the scrolls, is essential for an objective judgement about their production period. This article concludes with both a clarification of the text calligraphers and a narrowing down of the production period. The figures involved in the text calligrapher were all renowned calligraphers of their day and high ranking aristocrats. If we focus on the fact of the collaboration of these important figures, then it is natural that the Konrenji version scrolls were entrusted to a painting studio that worked specifically for the aristocracy. Thus we must probably presume that the Konrenji version represents the standard for painting quality of the period. If we further consider the existence of the above noted various extant main versions of the Yugyô shonin engi-e posited to have been created not too long after the Konrenji version, then clearly this group represents a considerable proportion of the illustrated handscrolls of the 14th century. Not only must we consider them in the framework of the Yugyô shonin engi-e, it is also essential to position them in a broader sense within the development of illustrated handscrolls during this period. In such a study we must consider how handscroll development continued into the 15th century. There has previously been a tendency to consider that the production of these major extant versions of the Yugyô shonin engi-e, including the Konrenji version, extended over the considerable time period of the 14th through the 17th century. However, there must be a reconsideration and reevaluation of the 14th century characteristics and trends in the painting elements themselves that form the basis for such judgment. Thus, in addition to the Konrenji version, the group of Yugyô shonin engi-e works must not be neglected in any consideration of 14th century handscroll paintings.