Tickets
English
DonateMembershipTickets

Three Waka Poems

Monk Tonna (Ton’a) Japanese
ca. 1368–69
Not on view
This waka kaishi—a sheet recording compositions from a poetry gathering—features three poems by the monk-poet-calligrapher Tonna. He recited these at a 1367 gathering at Nii-Tamatsushima Shrine, in Kyoto, hosted by the shogun Ashikaga Yoshiakira and attended by the day’s most prominent waka poets. Although the characters appear casually arranged, suggesting spontaneity, their plump shapes reflect Tonna’s study of the Sesonji school, established by the master calligrapher Fujiwara no Yukinari (972–1027). The final poem reads:

目にむえぬ　神のあはれむ　道をなを
わきてぞまもる　玉津しま姫

The goddess of Tamatsushima
maintains a pathway
from the heavens
so gods can manifest themselves
even if invisible to the eye.

—Trans. John T. Carpenter

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 頓阿法師筆　三首和歌懐紙
  • Title: Three Waka Poems
  • Artist: Monk Tonna (Ton’a) (Japanese, 1289–1372)
  • Period: Nanbokuchō (1336–92) period
  • Date: ca. 1368–69
  • Culture: Japan
  • Medium: Poetry sheet (waka kaishi) mounted as a hanging scroll; ink on paper
  • Dimensions: Image: 11 3/4 × 18 1/8 in. (29.8 × 46 cm)
    Overall with mounting: 46 1/8 × 22 15/16 in. (117.2 × 58.3 cm)
  • Classification: Calligraphy
  • Credit Line: Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection, Gift of Mary and Cheney Cowles, 2022
  • Object Number: 2022.432.5
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Armor (<i>Yoroi</i>) of Ashikaga Takauji (1305–1358), Iron, lacquer, leather, silk, gilt copper, Japanese
Armor (Yoroi) of Ashikaga Takauji (1305–1358)
Japanese
early 14th century
”Abiding nowhere, the awakened mind arises”, Musō Soseki Japanese, Hanging scroll; ink on paper, Japan
”Abiding nowhere, the awakened mind arises”
Musō Soseki
early to mid-14th century
Blade for a Dagger (Tantō), Rai Kunitoshi Japanese, Steel, Japanese
Blade for a Dagger (Tantō)
Swordsmith Blade inscribed by Rai Kunitoshi
ca. 1315–16
Poem written on Mount Qingliang, Wang Duo Chinese, Hanging scroll; ink on paper, China
Poem written on Mount Qingliang
Wang Duo
dated 1641
Armor (<i>Yoroi</i>) of Ashikaga Takauji (1305–1358), Iron, leather, lacquer, silk, copper, gold, pigments, Japanese
Armor (Yoroi) of Ashikaga Takauji (1305–1358)
Japanese
early–mid-14th century

Related Content

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

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 contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.