Artwork

松花堂昭乗書・伝俵屋宗達下絵和歌色紙 |Poem by Onakatomi Yoshinobu with Underpainting of Hollyhocks

松花堂昭乗書・伝俵屋宗達下絵和歌色紙 |Poem by Onakatomi Yoshinobu with Underpainting of Hollyhocks is an ink painting by the Baroque artist Shōkadō Shōjō. It dates from 1616 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Created in 1616, this hanging scroll combines poetry and painting on a shikishi, a colored paper card traditionally used for verse.

Accession no.: 1979.407.1
Credit line: Purchase, Mrs. Jackson Burke Gift, 1979

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The hollyhocks function as the primary visual subject, complementing rather than illustrating the poem's text.

This work pairs a classical Japanese poem with a painted underpainting of hollyhocks. The verse is by Onakatomi no Yoshinobu, a Heian-period court poet, written in calligraphy over a ground of flowering hollyhocks rendered on a colored paper card (shikishi) embellished with ink, gold, and silver. The combination of poetry and floral imagery belongs to the courtly tradition of decorated poem-cards, in which elegant calligraphy and seasonal plant motifs were appreciated together as an integrated aesthetic object. The hollyhocks function as the primary visual subject, complementing rather than illustrating the poem's text.

History & Provenance

The work is dated 1616 on internal records, placing its creation in the early Edo period within Japan.

It is recorded as a poem card (shikishi) that was subsequently mounted as a hanging scroll, combining ink, gold, and silver on colored paper. The painting layer is attributed to Tawaraya Sōtatsu as an underpainting, while the calligraphy is by Shōkadō Shōjō, who inscribed a poem by the Heian courtier Onakatomi Yoshinobu.

The piece is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is cataloged as part of their Japanese painting collection.

Legacy

The work is recognized as a notable example of the early Edo collaboration between calligraphy and painting, combining a poetic inscription with floral imagery. Its presence in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection has made it a reference point for studies of Shōkadō Shōjō's calligraphy and of the shikishi format, as well as for the decorative use of gold and silver associated with the Sōtatsu circle. It is frequently cited in discussions of how seventeenth-century artists integrated poetic text with painted ornament.

Overview

Created in 1616, this hanging scroll combines poetry and painting on a shikishi, a colored paper card traditionally used for verse. The work bears the calligraphic hand of court poet Onakatomi Yoshinobu, while the visual background consists of a delicate underpainting of hollyhock stems rendered in muted green.

Technique & Style

Shōkadō Shōjō applied ink, gold and silver pigments to the colored paper, first laying down a faint green wash that outlines the hollyhock stems. After the underpainting dried, the poet’s ink characters were inscribed, allowing the metallic highlights to catch the light and subtly reveal the botanical forms beneath.

Context

During the early 17th century, shikishi were often employed for the exchange of poetry among court circles, sometimes embellished with modest pictorial elements. The inclusion of hollyhocks aligns with contemporary taste for restrained natural motifs that complement, rather than dominate, the written text.