National Treasures & Important Cultural Properties
of National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan

　　The style of portraits of warlords (busho) that particularly follows the style of portraits of Zen priests (chinso) was first established around 1263 when the Regent of Kamakura shogunate, Hojo Tokiyori, passed away, under the consideration of deep understanding toward Zen shown by the direct line of Hojo Family (Hojo Tokuso ke) including Regent Hojo Tokiyori. Such style of portraits of the Hojo Tokuso Family became popular throughout the Kamakura period (1185–1333) and this painting is thought to be one of them.
　　Ando En’e (1285–1343) was a great warlord in the Kamakura shogunate and had the post of the governor of Kyoro Province from Kamakura shogunate (Rokuhara Tandai). He was commonly known as Ando Jiuemon Sukeyasu. He practiced Zen as a disciple of Seikan Sudon (西澗子曇), a Chinese priest who served as the chief priest of Engakuji Temple and Kenchoji Temple in Kamakura (present-day Kanagawa Prefecture) and become a Buddhist layman (koji) and then became the chief priest of Chorakuji Temple in Kozuke Provinve (present-day Ota City, Gunma Prefecture) as a Zen priest Nanso En’e (南叟円恵). He was the son of the servant of Hojo Tokuso Family (miuchi bito), Ando Rensho (1240–1330).
　　The same as the portraits of Zen priests, the figure is seated on a chair covered by a happi coat and the face is drawn in fine black lines and a shading technique (kumadori) is moderately applied. In particular, the serious appearance of the face is expressed by a skeching in front of En’e himself (taikan shasho). Things imported from China (hakusai) were popular at that time and this can be seen from the gorgeous clothes with small flower patterns (kohana mon). There is a tribute written on the top. As this is a portrait of En’e when he was still a Buddhist layman and not intended for a Zen priest (hoshi), the tribute was not written by himself. This tribute was written by Minki Soshun (明極楚俊), the high priest of the Rinzai sect of Yogi and Shogen schools, who came to Japan from Yuan dynasty in China in Gentoku 1 (1329). Minki Soshun became the chief priest of Kenchoji Temple in Kamakura around the spring of Gentoku 2 (1330). En’e requested him three tributes for works including a portrait for his father Rensho (portrait of deceased person) and a portrait of Zenni (禅爾) (not existing), who was the chief priest of Kumedadera Temple, in addition to this portrait. The relationship between the tribute and the icon is the same as the relationship where the memory of an icon is intended for posthumous work. This painting has attracted attention as a great portrait, as well as for the calligraphy of Minki Soshun.