Yoshimura Kan’a 芳村観阿

1765-1848maleYoshimura Kan’a was a master of tea ceremony and man of refined taste in Edo during the latter-Edo period.He is thought to have been a wealthy merchant who collected many antique paintings and calligraphic works. He originally lived in Kyoto, but later moved to Edo (present-day Tokyo).He is known for having made a donation from his collection to Todai-ji temple which included the donations accountbook for the reconstruction of the temple and notes about leading people to Buddhism written by Shunjobo Chogen, a prominent Japanese Buddhist monk. He also assisted Matsudaira Fumai in his collections as an advisor about tea