The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of April 19, 2024
Poem by Emperor Tenchi, from the series One Hundred Poems by One Hundred Poets Explained by the Nurse
1835–36
(Japanese, 1760–1849)
Sheet: 24.4 x 37 cm (9 5/8 x 14 9/16 in.)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Wade 1916.1164
Location: not on view
Description
This autumn landscape with rice farmers and travelers is from Katsushika Hokusai’s series of prints inspired by the anthology One Hundred Poems by One Hundred Poets (Hyakunin isshu uba ga etoki). While traveling through the countryside, like the two figures in the center, a sudden storm forced the Emperor Tenchi (reigned 661–72) to take shelter in a rice farmer’s hut. The experience produced tears of sympathy for the common people toiling under heavy burdens and living in rough, flimsy homes.The poem at the upper right next to the cartouche reads:
Lying on the rough
Mats of rice-harvest guards
In the autumn fields,
I find the sleeves of my robe wet.
Is the dew so heavy?
- Morse, Peter, Hokusai Katsushika, and Clay MacCauley. Hokusai, One Hundred Poets. New York: G. Braziller, 1989. 76-77
- Japanese Gallery 235 Rotation. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (March 26-July 9, 2018).Japanese Prints from the Museum Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 5-October 28, 1934).
- {{cite web|title=Poem by Emperor Tenchi, from the series One Hundred Poems by One Hundred Poets Explained by the Nurse|url=false|author=Katsushika Hokusai|year=1835–36|access-date=19 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1916.1164