courtesans; trees; flowers (plants); women; children (people by age group); men (male humans); kimonos; Single Built Works; hairstyles; hair ornaments
An elegantly dressed Yoshiwara courtesan looks on while a little boy, held by his mother, ties a poem sheet to a blossoming branch. A servant peeks from behind a broken umbrella, and two men dance in the background.
Back to back print. A withered man in tattered robes, with a deadened look on his face, sits in a chair with a candle on his head; he is viewed with shock by a younger man.
In late 6th - early 7th centuries, Japan sent several embassies to China to...
depictions; men (male humans); taiko; warriors; spears (weapons); swords
Yoshitoshi depicts a real character: Oishi Kuranosuke--chief of the famous forty-seven ronin of Ako--about to lead the night attack on Lord Kira's mansion. Yoshitoshi probably included Kuranosuke in this series of the 24 Accomplishments in Imperial...
Back to back print. Kesa Gozen was a beautiful and virtuous married woman whose cousin, Endo Morito, fell in love with her. She rejected his persistent advances, but eventually fearing for her husband's safety in the face of Endo's obsession, she...
legends (folk tales); women; kimonos; lanterns; children (people by age group); fusuma; interior spaces; foxes (animals)
An image of a woman, with a fox's head (seen through a screen) walking through a door, leaving her child behind in the house. Foxes, or kitsune, are mysterious, magical creatures with powers many times greater than those of badgers. Sometimes...
men (male humans); flowers; swords; kimonos; boats; flowers (plants)
The young woman Miyuki met Miyagi one evening; she gave him a fan with morning glory flowers asagao, and he composed a poem for her about the blossoms, according to the Asagao nikki. In the morning they parted, although their boats passed at...
men (male humans); warriors; armor (protective wear); swords; streams; trees; lanterns (lighting devices); banners; Single Built Works; porches
The warrior Kusunoki Masatsura (1326-1348) was the son of Kusunoki Masashige (1294-1336) and both were loyal defenders of the emperors of the Southern Court (see Plate 178). As a boy Masatsuna defended his home from curious creatures and spirits,...
men (male humans); women; children (people by age group); kimonos; trees; lanterns (lighting devices)
The 10-11th century poet Izumi Shikibu and her daughter KoShikibu (d. 1025) were visiting Kitano Shrine in Kyoto and noticed a painting / ema of a bird. The young girl spontaneously composed a poem, which reportedly made the pictured bird begin to...
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."...
When only eleven years old, Michizane composed his first poem in Chinese. The plum blossom was Michizane's favorite flower, and he would often write about its fragile petals and delicate fragrance. Here the artist has depicted the young poet...
women; kimonos; children (people by age group); porches; men (male humans); Single Built Works; blinds (coverings); swords
Two married women and a young girl are shown leaving a gated compound, and the text panel indicates that one is the wife of the warrior Kajiwara Kagesue (1162-1200) who has taken a branch of cherry blossoms. At right is a young messenger boy...
women; kimonos; Single Built Works; agricultural land; teakettles; tables (support furniture); stoves (heating equipment)
Several tourists are enjoying the interesting phenomenon of the moon being reflected on the water surface of flooded rice fields in Shinano Province (Nagano Prefecture). This famous view was well-known to travelers and even illustrated by Hiroshige...
Holding a Kyoto style doll, Otefu of the Kadoebi-ro stands near a display platform where lacquered stands and covered bowls suggest a Girls' Day display. The publication date of the 3rd day of the 3rd month (Girls' Day) of 1884 reinforces this...
The 11th century poet Suo no naishi, whose poem about "That spring night / Haru no yo" is included among the famous "Collection of One Hundred Poets / Hyakunin isshu," is shown encountering a Buddhist nun in the woods.
