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Katsukawa Shunshô (1726-1792)
The famous 9th century poetess Ono no Komachi washing the book, watched by the rival poet Ôtomo no Kuronushi and two other noblemen.
Fan-shaped image, surrounded by Komachis poem in ishizuri-style, white on deep black ground:
まかなくに
何をたねとて
うき草の
浪のうねうね
おひしげるらん
Makanakuni
nani wo tane tote
ukikusa no
nami no une-une
oishigeruran
(No one has sown it - from what seed issues the floating grass which in the watery furrow of the waves sprouts and grows thick?)
nani wo tane tote
ukikusa no
nami no une-une
oishigeruran
(No one has sown it - from what seed issues the floating grass which in the watery furrow of the waves sprouts and grows thick?)
Title: 草紙洗小町 (Sôshi-arai Komachi - Komachi washing the book)
Series: 七小町(Nana Komachi)
Size: Horizontal Koban, 16 x 22 cm (sheet size)
Date: c. 1776-1785
Excellent impression and condition, very good colours. Untrimmed and unbacked.
No other copy of this print is documented so far. For two other prints see Library of Congress, LC-DIG-jpd-00241 (Kayoi Komachi) and LC-DIG-jpd-00349 (Ômu Komachi)
Exceedingly rare!
Poem and translation quoted after Jaanus online dictionary, article Nanakomachi
Exceedingly rare!
Poem and translation quoted after Jaanus online dictionary, article Nanakomachi
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