Album of Twelve Waka from Poetry Competition of Poets of Different Eras
This extravagant album encapsulates a millennium of Japanese courtly aesthetic priorities and features brush writing in various aristocratic styles. While the poetic texts reward careful reading, the paper on which they appear vies for our attention. The abstract and natural motifs that decorate its surface are rendered in gold and silver powders as well as ink, colors, and cut foil.
The album contains a dozen pairs of waka, with the poet’s name given to the right of each text. All were drawn from a famous compilation of classical waka entitled Poetry Competition of Poets of Different Eras (Jidai fudō uta-awase). Authentication slips were later added to identify each calligrapher. However, it is likely that most, if not all, of these attributions are speculative.
The album contains a dozen pairs of waka, with the poet’s name given to the right of each text. All were drawn from a famous compilation of classical waka entitled Poetry Competition of Poets of Different Eras (Jidai fudō uta-awase). Authentication slips were later added to identify each calligrapher. However, it is likely that most, if not all, of these attributions are speculative.
Artwork Details
- 伝後陽成天皇他筆 「時不同歌合」和歌色紙帖
- Title: Album of Twelve Waka from Poetry Competition of Poets of Different Eras
- Artist: Calligraphy traditionally attributed to Emperor Go-Yōzei (Japanese, 1571–1617) and eleven others
- Period: Momoyama period (1573–1615)
- Date: early 17th century
- Culture: Japan
- Medium: Album of twelve double leaves; ink on gold and silver decorated paper
- Dimensions: Image: 7 15/16 × 9 3/16 in. (20.1 × 23.4 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection, Gift of Mary and Cheney Cowles, 2019
- Object Number: 2019.420.11
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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Emperor Go-Yōzei 後陽成天皇
late 16th–early 17th century
Unidentified
early 18th century
Hon'ami Kōetsu
Tawaraya Sōtatsu
1606
Kujō Kanezane
late 12th century
Japan
early 17th century
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