The Thirty-six Immortals of Poetry (Sanjūrokkasen) 三十六歌仙

Although published sixteen years after the death of the poet-painter—to commemorate his seventeenth death anniversary— this volume was marketed as printed reproductions of actual paintings and calligraphy in the hand of Yosa Buson, said to be discovered after his death among surviving manuscripts. The term kasen (poetic immortals) was usually used to refer to eminent court poets of the past, but in this case was used to refer to 36 great haikai poets in the lineage of Matsuo Bashō, whom Buson idealized.

This is a monochrome ink version of the first edition of the volume, though there was also a version printed in light gray scales, yellow, reddish-brown, and green (see Pulverer Collection, Freer Gallery of Art, FSC-GR-780.793). The Met’s collection also includes a unique hand-colored version of this volume (see 2013.666). Accompanying the first illustration is a replica of the artist’s signature, “Yahantei Buson sha” 夜半亭蕪村写 and a seal reading “Sha Chōkō” 謝長庚. The final image has the artist’s “Shunsei” 春星 seal. The cover of this volume has a later title strip reading “Thirty-Six Poetic Immortals” Sanjūrokkasen三十六歌僊, but the actual published title is Haikai Sanjūrokkasen, though in the Preface the volume is referred to as “Anthology of Haikai Immortals” (Haisenshū 俳仙集).