先日、豊郷のNさんから椿の枝を頂いたので座敷の床の間に飾りました。華道の心得があったなら、枝ぶりを直したり、密集した葉を取ったりしてもっと体裁よくなるだろうなと思いながら適当に籠に入れました。
掛け軸は福井の日本画家、内海吉堂（1849~1925)の作品。吉堂は多賀には縁が深く、久徳の医師・小菅兎峯に漢詩を学び、後に中国へ遊学して南画を学んだとのこと。私の曽祖父、澤田久蔵も明治の頃に小菅氏に漢詩を学んでいたと何かに書いてあったので、吉堂とも縁があって、この掛け軸が家にあるのかもしれません。
午後になって、尼子のKさんが小鮎の甘露煮を持って６月の能の会の申し込みに来てくださいました。近江の特産品の小鮎は昨今は収穫が難しくなっているそうです。Kさん自ら調理してくださった貴重な小鮎甘露煮、大変美味しく有り難くいただきました。
Ms. N from Toyosato-cho brought me branches of camellia, so I put them in a basket and put them in the alcove of the guest room. There must be some rules in a traditional flower arrangement,and it looked much better if I followed that, but I haven't taken any lessons about it. So I just arranged the branches randomly.
The hanging scroll is drawn by a Japanese painter, Kichidoh Utsumi (1849~1925) in Fukui prefecture. He had a strong connection to Taga. He studied Chinese classics from a medical doctor and Chinese scholar, Touhou Kosuga, who lived in Kyutoku Taga at an early age and went to China to learn Nanga (a school of Chinese painting which became popular in Japan during the Edo period). My great grandfather was studying Chinese classics from Mr. Kosuga in the Meiji period, so they might have had some connection with each other and that is why this hanging scroll exists in my house.
In the afternoon, Ms. K who is a resident in Taga, came to me to buy tickets for the Noh Event in June and she brought sweetened small-sweetfish which is one of the Shiga's specialties. I heard that getting sweetfish from Lake Biwa is harder year by year. Ms.K cooked this by herself. I appreciated her special gift and excellent taste!
