Artwork
小大君 「藤房本 三十六歌仙絵巻」 断簡|The Poet Koōgimi, from the “Fujifusa Version” of Thirty-six Poetic Immortals (Fujifusa-bon Sanjūrokkasen emaki)l
小大君 「藤房本 三十六歌仙絵巻」 断簡|The Poet Koōgimi, from the “Fujifusa Version” of Thirty-six Poetic Immortals (Fujifusa-bon Sanjūrokkasen emaki)l is an ink painting. It dates from 1450 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This piece depicts Koōgimi, one of Japan's celebrated poets, captured in a moment of contemplation.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
As a fragment from a larger handscroll, the painting functions as a poetic portrait that visually celebrates the subject's literary status.
The artwork portrays Koōgimi, a female poet included in the classical Japanese grouping known as the Thirty-six Poetic Immortals. As a fragment from a larger handscroll, the painting functions as a poetic portrait that visually celebrates the subject's literary status. The iconography centers on the depiction of a woman, emphasizing her identity and role as a creator of poetry within this esteemed canon.
By representing Koōgimi alongside other poetic immortals, the work symbolizes the cultural veneration of waka poetry and its distinguished practitioners, highlighting the significant recognition of women in the Japanese poetic tradition.
Technique & Style
This fragment is executed in ink and color on paper, originally part of a handscroll that has been remounted as a hanging scroll. The work belongs to the genre of poetic-portrait painting, depicting the poet Koōgimi alongside text of her verse. Produced in 1450 in Japan, the fragment survives as a detached section (断簡) of the larger Fujifusa-bon Sanjūrokkasen emaki, a version of the Thirty-six Poetic Immortals handscroll tradition.
The Met's cataloguing records the medium simply as ink and color on paper, with no further technical notes on brush handling, pigment, or current condition provided in the available sources.
History & Provenance
The handscroll fragment titled "小大君 「藤房本 三十六歌仙絵巻」 断簡|The Poet Koōgimi, from the "Fujifusa Version" of Thirty-six Poetic Immortals (Fujifusa-bon Sanjūrokkasen emaki)" is housed in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The work, dated to 1450, is classified as a painting and is part of the museum's holdings, though its specific accession number is not listed in the available documentation. The sources do not record any exhibition history for this fragment.
Overview
This piece depicts Koōgimi, one of Japan's celebrated poets, captured in a moment of contemplation. It originates from the "Fujifusa Version" of the Thirty-six Poetic Immortals, a collection honoring significant literary figures. Though now presented as an individual hanging scroll, this work was originally a small segment of a much larger handscroll, offering a glimpse into a revered tradition of Japanese art and literature.
Artist & collection
