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Katsushika Hokusai

Ono no Komachi, 1810s

Description

Maker

Title

Ono no Komachi

Year

1810s

Medium

Polychrome woodblock print

Materials/Techniques

Materials

Techniques

Supports

Dimensions

Sheet: 39.1 x 25.7 cm (15 3/8 x 10 1/8 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Poem transcription: Iro miede utsurou yo no naka no hito no kokoro no hana ni zo arikeru
Translation: In this world what fades without changing its outer hue is the flower of the heart of man
Calligraphy by Tokunan. (signed after poem lower left)

Place

Japan

Type

Credit

Gift of Mrs. Gustav Radeke

Object Number

20.1178

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Poets, Heroes, and Courtiers

September 6 - December 1, 2002

A handful of poems by Ono no Komachi (active 834-857) are preserved in the tenth-century Collection of Ancient and Modern Poems (Kokin waka-shū). It is the legends about her life, however, that have perpetuated her fame and immortalized her beauty.

In this rendition of the alluring poetess, Hokusai has used the characters of her name to draw her form. The print, although faded, still preserves the elegance and grace of Hokusai’s original design.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Ono no Komachi with the accession number of 20.1178. To request a higher resolution file, please submit an online request.