Ota Dokan approached an inn on a rainy day to request the loan of a rain coat. Instead, the maid brought him a Yamabuki flower on a tray. Her meaning was expressed by the poem "Although having many petals the Yamabuki, to our regret, has no seed."...
Narrative; trees; flower (plant material); kimonos; religious symbolism; knives; cuckoos and allies
In the moment before Umegae's death, a cuckoo catches Dainin's attention and perhaps causes him to reflect upon the transience of life. The budding plum tree and the plum flower pattern in Umegae's kimono refer to her name and possible rebirth...
men (male humans); kimonos; edged weapons; clothing; interior spaces; hearth
In this imaginary duel the swordsman Musashi, who was noted for his use of bokutÅ (wooden swords) in duels, attacks the kensei (sword saint) Tsukahara Bokuden (1489-1571), founder of the mutekatsu-ryu school of fighting ("without hands" or...
depictions; men (male humans); women; kimonos; trees; riverbanks; birds (animals)
In the moment before Umegae's death, a cuckoo catches Dainin's attention and perhaps causes him to reflect upon the transience of life. The budding plum tree and the plum flower pattern in Umegae's kimono refer to her name and possible rebirth...
processions; shamisen; musical instruments; women; kimonos; hats; men (male humans)
Two female shamisen players are standing near a warehouse building, while a daimyo procession goes by in the distance and two merchants walk into the middle ground. This painting on silk is delicately detailed, with tiny patterns on the kimono and...
women; children (people by age group); hairstyles; mountains; shores (landforms); trees; jewelry; kimonos
In this series, Chikanobu created a dramatic juxtaposition of multicolored close-up figural images with distant landscape scenes printed in blue and peach-colored inks. The detailed depiction of women continues the nishiki-e tradition that the...
women; kimonos; children (people by age group); snow (precipitation); trees; hats
Tokiwa gozen had to flee Kyoto in the dead of winter after her husband Minamoto no Yoshitomo (1123-60) was murdered and their home pillaged. (See Plate 55) Here she clasps to her chest their youngest son Ushiwaka, wrapped in orange brocade; he will...
