Artwork Page for Kuronushi from the series The New Six Immortal Poets

Details / Information for Kuronushi from the series The New Six Immortal Poets

Kuronushi from the series The New Six Immortal Poets

新六歌仙 黒主

c. 1795

Chōbunsai Eishi 鳥文斎栄之

(Japanese, 1756–1829)
Culture
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)
Medium
color woodblock print
Measurements
Sheet: 33.4 x 20.5 cm (13 1/8 x 8 1/16 in.)
Credit Line
The Fanny Tewksbury King Collection 1956.755
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print

Description

This print shows a courtesan adjusting her hairdo before a mirror as her attendant looks on. In the cartouche next to her is a poem by Ōtomo no Kuronishi, a Heian period courtier celebrated as one of the Six Immortal Poets. His portrait and name appear in the disk-shaped title cartouche.

The poem reads: "Mirror Mountain / Has been raised high / To show us all / Our Lord will live a thousand years!" The poem appears in the Anthology of Ancient and Modern Verse (Kokinwakashū) with a note that it was sung at the investiture of the Emperor Daigo (885-930). Here, the courtesan could be perceived as a stand-in for the emperor, making this a rather risqué print.
A vertically oriented woodblock print on tan paper depicts two women with light skin tones. On the right, a woman in a dark patterned kimono stands adjusting yellow hairpins. Her reflection appears in an oval mirror atop a black box at the lower left. To her left, a woman in a brown kimono sits. An inset circle at the top left features a seated man. Japanese calligraphy is visible throughout.

Kuronushi from the series The New Six Immortal Poets

c. 1795

Chōbunsai Eishi

(Japanese, 1756–1829)
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

Contact Us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please fill out the appropriate request form linked below:

Update or Correct Artwork Information

Imagery or Rights for Non-Open-Access Artworks

Report a Website Issue

Further Questions About This Artwork