Ono no Komachi, from the series A Collection of Fashionable Beauties of Japan (Wakoku bijin ryaku shu)

Art Institute of Chicago

Ono no Komachi, from the series A Collection of Fashionable Beauties of Japan (Wakoku bijin ryaku shu)

Torii KiyonagaLinkedCulture matchlcp-c9b0364c23f6

Date
Edo period (1615–1868), n.d.
Medium
Color woodblock print; chuban
Culture
Japan
Department
Arts of Asia
Institution
Art Institute of Chicago
Object ID
36630

From the Art Institute of Chicago record

A beautiful young woman fixes her hairstyle in the mirror, while an older woman’s thoughts are expressed in the poem above: If only I could grow old without changing my appearance, I would not mind the limit of my life. (Translation by Chie Hirano) Ono no Komachi often lamented the inevitability of aging in her poems, and her story is closely associated with the idea of fleeting beauty. The cherry blossoms in the vase on the veranda symbolize impermanence due to their short lifespans, reinforcing the notion that exquisiteness is not everlasting.

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Credit line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Gaylord Donnelley

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Object type
AAT300041273

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