Minneapolis Institute of Art

Woman as the Poet Funya No Yasuhide

Hosoda Eishi; Publisher: Nishimuraya Yohachi

Date

1793–94

Medium

Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper with mica

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Eishi was a member of a samurai family. Perhaps as a result of the protracted peace under Tokugawa rule, he studied painting under the shōgun's court- appointed artist, Kanō Eisen (1696-1731) and eventually was recognized for his own painting accomplishments. Despite this reputable background, Eishi seems to have had a particular interest in designing prints and paintings in the ukiyo-e style, a predilection that caused him to resign his hereditary position. His images of women are admired for their elegance and restraint. He also revived the practice of depicting modern women in the guise of famous poets from Japan's classical past, a theme popular among early ukiyo-e artists. Here he depicts a woman as the 9th century poet Bunya no Yasuhide. She holds a lacquered cap of the type typically worn by courtiers like Yasuhide. His poem, first recorded in the Kokinwakashū of 906, appears above: Wind blown from a mountain Storming around the autumn field That may be why the word storm Consists of the characters of Wind and mountain Asia

The authoritative record is held by Minneapolis Institute of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.