Yamamoto Chikuun (山本竹雲)
Chikuun YAMAMOTO (a male, 1819 - April 27, 1888) was a Tenkoku artist (a carver who carved Chinese characters in the special, Tensho, style) and master of the green tea ceremony who lived in the Meiji period.
His name was Jo or Yu. He was also called Nakadachi, and used Chikuun as the title of his profession and Shinchikuken or Muken-do as a title in which mainly "-do" is attached at the end. He came from Ajioka, Bizen Province.
Summary of his personal history
He was born in Bizen, came to Kyoto and lived in Yanaginobanba, Oike-dori Street.
He studied Confucianism under Shochiku SHINOZAKI
He was good at Kaki ga (paintings of flowers and various types of grass), and was well versed in the green tea ceremony as well. He studied the carving of Tensho-style Chinese characters under Rinkoku HOSOKAWA, and earned his living through selling In (an object on top of which a seal pattern is carved). He had lots of knowledge about literary persons and studies, and also appraised utensils for green tea.
He visited Fukui many times and had his followers there, such as Kiho YOSHIKAWA, Toshu KATAYAMA, Koho IGARASGI, Roshu OKAZAKI and Seiran KUTSUMI. A monument commemorating "Bunbo-ryu" (Bunbo school), his line, was placed at Mt. Asuwa.
He plunged into Chigoga-ike Pond in Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Higashiyama (in Kyoto Prefecture), killing himself. Beside the pond, a half-coat called haori was folded, and a set of tea ceremony utensils were also placed there as if he conducted a tea ceremony by himself there. He is buried in the Tenju-an sub-temple of Nanzen-ji Temple.
Books he wrote
"Shokagukyo"