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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

Text, Paratext, and Images

September 1, 2020 - July 24, 2021

These depictions of Asian poets reflect the connection between writers and their texts, visualized here through deliberate use of forms.

Portrayed at left is Khwāja Shams-ud-Dīn Muḥammad Ḥāfeẓ-e Shīrāzī (Hafiz), a Persian poet from the 1300s whose influence can be felt to this day. He is entertained by a swaying dancer and a musician playing a daf, a Persian frame drum. The figures’ curving forms capture the rhythm of music depicted in the scene. [17.432]

At right is Ono no Komachi, a celebrated Japanese poet who lived in the 800s. Her figure is formed by the cursive characters of her name. Written above is one of her poems, which echoes the calligraphic lines of her clothes. [20.1178]

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 high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.