The Kutsuki were a branch of the Sasaki family hailing from Omi Province. They served as the stewards of the Kutsuki manor in that province in the Kamakura period, and the house continued through the Warring States period and into the Edo period, when some of their members became bannermen (direct vassals of the shogun) or daimyo (provincial lords). "The archives of Kutsuki family" consist of historical documents passed down in the family through the years. The Cabinet Records Bureau purchased them from the Kutsuki in 1888. Containing more than 1,060 documents, the archives were designated an important cultural property in the first year of Heisei( 1989).
This "kokuinjo" (letter with a black seal impression) was sent to Kutsuki Hyobu-no-sho Nobutsuna (1582 - 1662) by Toyotomi Hideyori (1593 - 1615). It is dated May 4, but the year is not noted. Nobutsuna was appointed Hyobu-no-sho in June in the 2nd year of Keicho(1597), and the letter is consequently thought to have been written in the 3rd year of Keicho(1598) or later. In the letter, Hideyori expresses his thanks to Nobutsuna for a gift of a "katabira" (unlined garment for summer wear) on the May 5th Boy's Festival. It bears the impression of Hideyori's seal in black and is inscribed "To Kutsuki Hyobu-no-sho."