This is a Seven-Character Quatrain (Shichigon Zekku), a form of Chinese poetry popular among Japanese scholars of the time. The script style is Sōsho (Cursive Script), which focuses on flow and artistic expression over legibility, making it difficult to decipher character-by-character without specific knowledge of the poem. Based on Seigan's known works and the visible characters, the poem appears to be an Ode to Tobacco. Transcription (Right to Left): Line 1: "The servants in the North of Yan burn the brushwood." North of Yan (Yanbei): Refers to a region in China (around Beijing) historically associated with tobacco usage in classical literature. Burn the brushwood: A poetic metaphor for burning tobacco leaves in a pipe. Line 2: "How did the spark release this lucky seed to be transmitted?" He wonders at the good fortune ("lucky seed") of tobacco being spread to the world (or Japan) via a simple spark. Line 3: "Inhaling and exhaling, the hermit knows its sweetness." Hermit/Immortal (Sennin): Seigan refers to himself or the smoker as a refined hermit who understands the true "sweet" taste of the smoke. Line 4: "[It] absolutely surpasses a single cup." One cup: Refers to a cup of wine or sake. Conclusion: Seigan declares that a good smoke is far superior to a drink of alcohol. Summary This is a hanging scroll (kakejiku) featuring a poem by the late-Edo master Yanagawa Seigan. It is a humorous and appreciative poem about tobacco, claiming that a smoke is superior to a drink of alcohol. The vigorous, flowing brushstrokes are characteristic of Seigan's dynamic personality. Size 206.5 x 64 cm (total) 133 x 48 cm (main paper) Shaft tip: Wood Condition: There is damage to the main paper. One shaft is missing. Yanagawa Seigan (1789–1858) was one of the most significant Confucian scholars, calligraphers, and Kanshi poets (poets writing in classical Chinese) of the late Edo period. Seigan was not just an artist; he was a political activist. He was a fervent Imperial Loyalist who advocated for the restoration of the Emperor and the overthrow of the Tokugawa Shogunate.