Fujiwara no Sadanobu

JAPAN; Heian period

The son of Fujiwara no Michiko and grandson of Fujiwara no Korefusa, Fujiwara no Sadanobu was a court official and calligrapher from a family of legendary calligraphers. His calligraphic style, as seen in his piece, Mirror of the Present, was similar to that of his grandfather’s.
In 1123, when Emperor Sutoku (reigned 1123–1142) ascended the throne, Sadanobu was responsible for the calligraphy on the screens at the Yuki and Suki Shrines during the court ritual. In 1129, he vowed to personally transcribe over 5,000 scrolls of the Complete Collection of Sutras, a task that took him 23 years to complete.
His calligraphic works extant include Prajnaparamita Naya Satapancasatika, collected in Tokyo Shunkei Kinen Shodo Bunko; Lotus Sutra - Chapter on Similes and Parables, listed as a National Treasure and collected in Tesshuji Temple; Lotus Sutra, kept in Togakushi Shrine; and Postscript on the Byobu Dodai, which is presently preserved in the Museum of the Imperial Collections at the Imperial Household Agency in Tokyo.