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Portraits of Three Famous Poets: Kakinomoto no Hitomaro, Lady Ise, and Ono no Komachi

Tosa Mitsuoki Japanese
1691
Not on view
A trio of painters in the Tosa family—father, son, and grandson—collaborated on this triptych of imaginary portraits of three of ancient Japan’s greatest poets. For the central scroll, Mitsuoki—the esteemed head of the Tosa school of traditional Japanese-style painting—rendered the patriarch of Japanese poetry, Kakinomoto no Hitomaro (ca. 660–724). Mitsunari, Mitsuoki’s son, painted Lady Ise (ca. 875–ca. 938), dressed in gorgeous court robes in the scroll at right. The court lady and poet Ono no Komachi (ca. 825–ca. 900), depicted with a water basin, is the work of Mitsutaka, the Tosa master’s grandson. This set of portraits celebrates the high regard for poetry in Japanese cultural history.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 土佐光起・光成・光高筆　人麻呂・伊勢・小町図
  • Title: Portraits of Three Famous Poets: Kakinomoto no Hitomaro, Lady Ise, and Ono no Komachi
  • Artist: Tosa Mitsuoki (Japanese, 1617–1691)
  • Artist: Tosa Mitsunari (Japanese, 1646–1710)
  • Artist: Tosa Mitsutaka (Japanese, 1675–1710)
  • Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
  • Date: 1691
  • Culture: Japan
  • Medium: Triptych of hanging scrolls: ink, color, gold and silver on silk
  • Dimensions: Image: 39 1/2 × 17 3/8 in. (100.3 × 44.1 cm)
    Overall with mounting: 73 3/4 × 22 3/8 in. (187.3 × 56.8 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection, Gift of Mary and Cheney Cowles, 2021
  • Object Number: 2021.398.17a–c
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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