Poem by Ki no Tsurayuki (ca. 872–945) on Decorated Paper with Cherry Blossoms
Ogata Sōken headed a wealthy Kyoto merchant family that specialized in textiles, had close ties to the palace, and helped revive traditional Japanese arts in early eighteenth-century Kyoto. His crisp, elegant, and dynamic calligraphy shows indebtedness to the style of Hon’ami Kōetsu, who had revolutionized the art of brush writing in the early seventeenth century. Here, Sōken transcribed a waka (31-syllable court verse) by Ki no Tsurayuki and—to add an unexpected twist—included the poet’s name in the middle of the composition. It reads:
Hana no ka ni
koromo wa fukaku
nari ni keri
[Tsurayuki]
ko no shita kage no
kaze no ma ni ma ni
The scent of blossoms
has soaked ever deeper
into our robes,
[by the poet Tsurayuki]
as breezes come and go
in the shade of the trees.
(Trans. John T. Carpenter)
Hana no ka ni
koromo wa fukaku
nari ni keri
[Tsurayuki]
ko no shita kage no
kaze no ma ni ma ni
The scent of blossoms
has soaked ever deeper
into our robes,
[by the poet Tsurayuki]
as breezes come and go
in the shade of the trees.
(Trans. John T. Carpenter)
Artwork Details
- 桜下絵和歌色紙 紀 貫之
- Title: Poem by Ki no Tsurayuki (ca. 872–945) on Decorated Paper with Cherry Blossoms
- Artist: Ogata Sōken (Japanese, 1621–1687)
- Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
- Date: mid- to late 17th century
- Culture: Japan
- Medium: Poem card (shikishi) mounted as a hanging scroll; ink and gold on paper
- Dimensions: Image: 8 3/8 × 7 11/16 in. (21.2 × 19.5 cm)
Overall with mounting (a): 41 1/4 × 12 1/2 in. (104.8 × 31.7 cm)
Overall with knobs (a): 41 1/4 × 14 1/4 in. (104.8 × 36.2 cm) - Classification: Calligraphy
- Credit Line: Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation, 2015
- Object Number: 2015.300.242a
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Ogata Sōken
mid- to late 17th century
Japan
late 17th century
Kano Tan'yū
mid-17th century
Kaihō Yūsetsu
mid-17th century
Itō Jakuchū
1755
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.