A Flowery Mirror of Beautiful Women (Bijin ryōka shū) 美人菱花集
Katsura Seiyō 桂青洋 Japanese
Not on view
This illustrated collection of kyōka (witty 31-syllable poems) has a clever title that literally means “A Collection of Beauties as Chestnut Flowers [ryōka or hishi].” But ryōka (water chestnut) also is an abbreviated way of referring to a ryōka-kyō, or metal mirror with floral motifs on the reverse side. The publisher of this volume probably created the title that would add a level of literary allusiveness to this compilation of genre scenes of women and poetry. The frontispiece and one of the illustrations in fact show images of metal cosmetic mirrors.
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