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Ono no Komachi, by Yashima Gakutei

Image attached to P.302-1937

An image of Ono no Komachi. Gakutei, Yashima (Japanese, 1786(?)-1868). Surimono. Colour print from woodblocks, with metallic pigment and blind embossing. Early 1820s. Poetry by Bunshosha Masayo. Circa 1820-circa 1823. Ukiyo-e. Notes: From the series of legendary heroines Katsushikaren gakumen fujin awase (Framed paintings of women for the Katsushika Group). Ono no Komachi was a celebrated poetess and court beauty in the early Heian period. At the request of the Emperor, she composed a prayer for rain during a drought. Praying to the Dragon God, she threw her poem slip into the pond at the temple: clouds gathered and rain fell for three days. The poem by Bunshosha reads: ‘Spring returns from the past unchanged; I long to see within the curtain of mist.’

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About this image

Ono no Komachi. Gakutei, Yashima (Japanese, 1786(?)-1868). Surimono. Colour print from woodblocks, with metallic pigment and blind embossing. Early 1820s. Poetry by Bunshosha Masayo. Circa 1820-circa 1823. Ukiyo-e. Notes: From the series of legendary heroines Katsushikaren gakumen fujin awase (Framed paintings of women for the Katsushika Group). Ono no Komachi was a celebrated poetess and court beauty in the early Heian period. At the request of the Emperor, she composed a prayer for rain during a drought. Praying to the Dragon God, she threw her poem slip into the pond at the temple: clouds gathered and rain fell for three days. The poem by Bunshosha reads: ‘Spring returns from the past unchanged; I long to see within the curtain of mist.’

Image data

  • Accession Number: P.302-1937
  • Photograph copyright © The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
  • Aperture: f/20.0
  • Focal length: 120
  • Camera: Hasselblad H4D-31
  • Photographer name: Sam Cole
  • Image height: 1025 pixels
  • Image width: 918 pixels
  • Processed with: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5.0 (Windows)
  • Filesize: 936.56kB
  • Exposure time: 1/250
  • ISO Speed: 100
  • Fnumber: 20/1
  • Captured: 2017:09:04 10:10:54

Key words

19th Century beauty blind embossing colour printing court poets Edo Period embossed embossing female Fitz_PDP Gakutei hero heroes heroic heroine heroism Japan Japanese kimono Komachi metallic pigment Ono no Komachi pigment poem poetess poetry poets print surimono ukiyo-e woodblock woodcut Yashima Gakutei

Colours in this image

rgb(82,73,52), rgb(208,191,156), rgb(147,87,66), rgb(137,121,92), rgb(134,111,74), rgb(167,129,97), rgb(244,230,192), rgb(179,153,113), rgb(168,154,127), rgb(236,219,188), rgb(102,116,76)

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The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Ono no Komachi, by Yashima Gakutei" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/image/media-218380 Accessed: 2024-12-24 07:56:29

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{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/image/media-218380 |title=Ono no Komachi, by Yashima Gakutei |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-12-24 07:56:29|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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        <img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/pdp/pdp82/P_302_1937_1_201709_sjc288_dc2.jpg"
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        <figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Ono no Komachi, by Yashima Gakutei</figcaption>
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