MATSUURA, Tokei 松浦東渓 (or Hisanobu 久信).

Five illustrated handscrolls on paper, entitled on the oldish wooden box “Kasō maki” 家相巻 [“House Physiognomy”].

16 ink & brush diagrammatic illus. Five scrolls (details below), all with silk brocade outer front endpapers & gold speckled inner endpapers, with manuscript title labels. [Japan]: mid- to late Edo (at the end of each scroll we have the signature of Matsuura & two of his seals).

Feng shui arrived in Japan from China in the 6th-7th centuries and soon became formalized by the Onmyōryō (Bureau of Yin-Yang), which managed divination, cosmology, and geomancy. Over several centuries, the Japanese practice of feng shui (known as fūsui 風水) was absorbed into native beliefs like Shintōism, using intuitive practices that stressed simplicity and mindfulness. Fūsui employed the geomantic concept of the “Four Divine Guardians,” using this to plan buildings and cities. Each cardinal direction is protected by one of four mythological creatures: the Azure Dragon (青龍 seiryū) in the east, the White Tiger (白虎 byakko) in the west, the Vermilion Bird (朱雀 suzaku) in the south, and the Black Turtle-Snake (玄武 genbu) in the north. The practice of using fūsui was known as kasō (“house physiognomy” or “ecomancy”), choosing not only the proper house design but also an auspicious site and placement on that location. These considerations are still widely observed today in Japan.

The author of our five scrolls, Matsuura Tokei (1752-1820), a Shintō priest, was one of the leading practitioners of fūsui in Osaka during a time when its use dramatically increased. He wrote a number of books on fūsui and kasō, including Kasō zukai 家相圖解 [House Physiognomy, Illustrated and Described] (1798) and Kasō zusetsu taizen 家相圖說大全 [Encyclopedia of House Physiognomy, Illustrated and Explained] (1801).

The collection of texts and illustrations presented in our five scrolls:

1. “Kasō chūō no maki” 家相中央之巻, “Scroll on House Physiognomy, Essential Information.” Scroll (203 x 4750 mm.). A general introduction to fūsui and kasō. There are also suggestions on good and bad locations of the kitchen and the Buddhist altar room.

2. “Kasō seiryū no maki” 家相青龍之巻, “Scroll on House Physiognomy, Azure Dragon.” Five illus. Scroll (203 x 5420 mm.). This east guardian is represented by water and symbolizes spring and the element wood.

3. “Kasō byakko no maki” 家相白虎之巻. “Scroll on House Physiognomy, White Tiger.” Three illus. Scroll (203 x 4460 mm.). The west guardian is connected to autumn, metal, and a major road or path.

4. “Kasō suzaku no maki” 家相朱雀之巻, “Scroll on House Physiognomy, Vermilion Bird.” Five illus. Scroll (203 x 5590 mm.). The south guardian is associated with fire, summer, and open plains or sea.

5. “Kasō genbu no maki” 家相玄武之巻, “Scroll on House Physiognomy, Black Turtle-Snake.” Three illus. Scroll (203 x 4320 mm.). The north guardian is linked to winter, water, and protective mountains to shield from evil forces.

All five scrolls are concerned, in great detail, with the proper placement of the well, kitchen, and bathing area as they are the primary sources of good or ill health.

Fine condition, preserved in an oldish wooden box with an inscription on the outside bottom: “owned by Takeda, April 1886.”.