Fujiwara no Yukinari

JAPAN; Heian period

Fujiwara no Yukinari, also known as Fujiwara no Koze, was a court official and calligrapher. He is considered to be one of the best calligraphers of his time alongside Ono no Michikaze and Fujiwara no Sukemasa. Together, they were known as the Three Brush Traces.
Yukinari epitomized the essence of Japanese calligraphy and had a profound impact on its further development. His writing was delicate, even, and elegant, tending to slant slightly rightward. Those calligraphers who succeeded him wrote in the Sesonji style, which he is attributed as the founder. His own calligraphic style was referred to as Gonseki by later generations.
His calligraphic pieces include Selected Poems of Bai, a set of eight poems originally composed by Bai Juyi during the Tang dynasty (618–907), kept at the Tokyo National Museum and Shoseki, kept at Honnoji Temple; both works are listed as National Treasures. Other works include Letter and Copy of Wang Xizhi’s Letter, kept at the Tokyo National Museum.