Ono no Komachi, from the series Portraits of Six Poets Artist: Katsushika Hokusai (Japanese, 1760–1849)
Artist: Unknown

ca. 1809–10

Asian Art

By appointment, Duffy Study Room

葛飾北斎　｢六歌仙の内　小野小町｣　浮世絵錦絵　江戸時代


There are more legends than facts about Ono no Komachi, but she was without a doubt a great poet, active during the early Heian period. It is said that she was very beautiful and that she served as a lady-in-waiting at the Imperial court. Her love affairs have become subjects for plays and stories, but from her poetry, one senses that she had complex feelings regarding love. Most of her extant works touch upon this theme in some capacity. As expected, the poem that accompanies her in this print is her famous love poem: “Iro mie de / utsurou mono wa / yo no naka no / hito no kokoro no / hana ni zo arikeru” (That which fades / without seeing color / is the flower within / the heart of the people / of this world).

Medium

Ukiyo-e: polychrome woodblock print

Dimensions

unframed: 14 7/8 × 9 3/4 in. (37.8 × 24.8 cm)
framed: 22 × 16 in. (55.9 × 40.6 cm)

Credit Line

Hobart and Edward Small Moore Memorial Collection, Gift of Mrs. William H. Moore

Accession Number

1950.542

Geography

Japan

Culture

Japanese

Period

Edo period (1615–1868)

Classification

Prints

Disclaimer

Note: This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect the Yale University Art Gallery’s complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of records is ongoing.

Provenance
Mrs. William H. Moore (1858–1955) New York; Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, Conn.
Bibliography
  • George J. Lee, Edo Culture in Japanese prints, exh. cat. (New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Art Gallery, 1972), 42, no. 4
Object copyright
No Copyright - United States
Additional information

Object/Work type

color woodcuts, portraits

Marks

Collector’s seal: Hayashi 林忠正 (round, relief, lower left)

Inscriptions

Ono no Komachi 小野小町 (upper left)\r\nPoem: iro mie de/ utsurou mono wa/ yononaka no/ hito no kokoro no/ hana ni zo arikeru” \r\n色見へ天　う徒ろふも能盤　世の中乃　ひとの心能　花尓ぞ阿里計留\r\nThat which fades / without seeing color / is the flower within / the heart of the people / of this world.\r\n\r\n

Signed

Katsushika Hokusai ga (painted by Katsushika Hokusai) か川し可北斎画 (lower left)
Tonan sho (written by Tonan) [zu+minami] (at center left) is not yet identified.

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