Roku, by Yashima Gakutei

An image of Roku. Gakutei, Yashima (Japanese, 1786(?)-1868). Surimono. Colour print from woodblocks, with metallic pigment, circa 1824. Ukiyo-e. Poetry by Rokujen Motoari. Notes: From the series Fukurokuju (Happiness, Prosperity and Longevity). This print shows Ding Gu (Choko in Japanese), who was a subject of the state of Wu during the period of the Three Kingdoms. He had a dream that a pine tree was growing out of his belly, which he interpreted as showing that after eighteen years he would become a nobleman (the character for ‘pine’ could be split into the characters for ‘ten’, ‘eight’ and ‘nobleman’). His dream came true and the expressions ‘Ding Gu’s dream’ or ‘Ding Gu’s growing pine’ came to mean success and distinction in government service. The poem reads: ‘Rank and stipend like a monkey climbing higher: will I see Ding Gu’s pine tree as my first dream of the Monkey Year?’

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Roku. Gakutei, Yashima (Japanese, 1786(?)-1868). Surimono. Colour print from woodblocks, with metallic pigment, circa 1824. Ukiyo-e. Poetry by Rokujen Motoari. Notes: From the series Fukurokuju (Happiness, Prosperity and Longevity). This print shows Ding Gu (Choko in Japanese), who was a subject of the state of Wu during the period of the Three Kingdoms. He had a dream that a pine tree was growing out of his belly, which he interpreted as showing that after eighteen years he would become a nobleman (the character for ‘pine’ could be split into the characters for ‘ten’, ‘eight’ and ‘nobleman’). His dream came true and the expressions ‘Ding Gu’s dream’ or ‘Ding Gu’s growing pine’ came to mean success and distinction in government service. The poem reads: ‘Rank and stipend like a monkey climbing higher: will I see Ding Gu’s pine tree as my first dream of the Monkey Year?’

Image data

Accession Number: P.309-1937
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: 909 pixels
Processed with: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5.0 (Windows)
Filesize: 1.15MB
Exposure time: 1/250
ISO Speed: 100
Fnumber: 20/1
Captured: 2017:09:04 09:49:30

Key words

19th Century Choko colour printing Ding Gu dreamer dreaming dreams Edo Period Fitz_PDP Gakutei Japan Japanese male metallic pigment pigment pine trees poem poetry poets print success surimono trees ukiyo-e woodblock woodcut Yashima Gakutei

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            "Roku, by Yashima Gakutei"
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