Abstract
The relationship between the Tokugawa shogunate and the imperial court has been the subject of considerable scholarly interest. Iemitsu clearly considered it a crucial matter to produce an engi to honour his grandfather. This necessitated the unenviable task of enlisting the services of the often-recalcitrant imperial court: aristocratic calligraphy was indispensable for such documents. This chapter looks at the court's role in the production of a set of scrolls written in 1640 to honour Ieyasu, the first Tokugawa shogun. It provides new insight into this project by introducing some of the individual calligraphers and describing their relationship with Tokugawa. It then investigates why these aristocrats might have contributed to such scrolls and suggests some factors that may have played a role behind the scenes. The 1640 scrolls project provides a glimpse into court-shogunal relations at this critical time, and also exemplifies how Ieyasu's grandson Iemitsu used art for political purposes. Keywords:Bakufu; calligraphy; Engi scrolls; Iemitsu; Ieyasu; imperial court; Tokugawa Ieyasu; Tokugawa shogunate
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