man reclining on mat in dark room, looking wistfully to L; large medallion designs on his robes; man has triangular hat, and wispy facial hair; inscription panels with grasses decoration ULC

Kakinomoto no Hitomaro, 16th century

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Ranked first in the early poetry collection Man’yōshū and considered one of the "Thirty-six Immortal Poets," Kakinomoto no Hitomaro (d. ca. 710) is among the best known masters of Japanese-style poetry. Portraits of the beloved poet were treated as religious icons as early as the classical Heian period. The inscription brushed at top left is an ancient poem traditionally associated with Hitomaro:

Honobono to
Akashi no ura
no asagiri
ni
shima-gakure yuku
fune o shi zo
omou

Dimly, dimly
in the morning mist that lies over Akashi Bay,
my longings follow with the ship
that vanishes behind the distant isle.

[Translated by Robert H. Brower and Earl Roy Miner]

Details
Title
Kakinomoto no Hitomaro
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2015.79.26
Catalogue Raisonne
Murase, Art through a Lifetime, no. 48
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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man reclining on mat in dark room, looking wistfully to L; large medallion designs on his robes; man has triangular hat, and wispy facial hair; inscription panels with grasses decoration ULC