# Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Hunan Bunzan's Handwriting # Muromachi Period Calligraphy This is the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" written in the Edo period. It is a valuable handwritten piece by "Hunan Bunzan," the translator of the popular "Romance of the Three Kingdoms." The scene depicted is the preface to Part 1, "Oath of the Peach Garden," where the story of the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" begins. It is framed, but the calligraphy fragment is not glued. The calligraphy fragment is in the frame as is. ＜About Hunan Bunzan＞ In the Edo period, the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" was first translated into Japanese, and the translator was "Hunan Bunzan." Research later revealed that "Zen monk Gitetsu of Tenryu-ji Temple started the translation, and his younger brother, Getsudo, completed it after his death." It was discovered that "Hunan Bunzan" was a pen name of "Gitetsu." ＜Current Status in Japan＞ The colophon of the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" on display states "Genroku 4 (1691)" and includes the signature of "Hunan Bunzan." According to the "National Book Catalog," a handwritten "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" by Hunan Bunzan exists at Tohoku University, and the woodblock prints are preserved at the Imperial Household Agency Archives, the University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, etc. ＜Signatures and Former Owners＞ The following signatures are found in the table of contents of Volume 3 of the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms": "Jutei"…Kimura Jutei, a physician of the Sendai Domain in the Edo period "Gen'taku"…Otsuki Gentaku, a Dutch scholar in the Edo period "Gitetsu"…Gitetsu, a monk of Tenryu-ji Temple (Hunan Bunzan) To the right of the above three signatures is the seal of the Date family of the Sendai Domain (bamboo and sparrow). The signature stamped on the calligraphy fragment on display is that of Kimura Jutei, a physician of the Sendai Domain. ＜Size＞ (Calligraphy Fragment) 24.3 cm long, 7.7 cm wide (Frame) 34 cm long, 18.3 cm wide ※The surface of the frame is glass. ＜Provenance＞ It was collected and owned by Kimura Jutei, who served as a physician to the Date family of the Sendai Domain in the Edo period. Many of the items owned were ancient documents written by court nobles in Kyoto (Konoe family, Takatsukasa family, Kujo family, Oimikado family). Date Tsunamura (the 4th lord of the Sendai Domain) obtained tea utensils and ancient documents from court nobles through Konoe Motohiro, and the daughter of a Kyoto court noble brought ancient documents as part of her dowry when she married the head of the Date family. Therefore, the Sendai Domain possessed many writings by court nobles. Later, some of the ancient documents were passed from the Date family to Kimura Jutei, a physician of the Sendai Domain, and were handed down through the Kimura family for generations. This item is being offered from among them. ＜Shipping Method, etc.＞ ・Shipped via Yu-Pack of Yu-Yu Mercari. ・A reading and modern Japanese translation will also be included.