Kaji of Gion - Stories of Wise Women

Category

Library Item

Item no

317

Title

Kaji of Gion from the series 'Stories of Wise Women and Faithful Wives' (Kenjo Reppuden)

Description

Kaji of Gion, a leading 18th century 'waka' poet is depicted with her fan, calligraphy brushes and ink stone. She is elegantly dressed in the style of a fashionable tea waitress. Kaji opened a tea shop in Kyoto's Gion park, where she sold cups of tea and, on request, composed poems for her clients written on 'tanzaku', narrow poetry cards.

Artist / maker

Kuniyoshi

Date

1842

Size

37 x 24.5 cm.

Type

Wood cut

Location

Art and Design Library

The following information appears on the print:

Signature: Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga
Censor's Seal: Yoshimura (1842 - 1846)

This print is from a series of 31 prints titled 'Stories of Wise Women and Faithful Wives' ('Kenjo Reppuden')

Waka poems were 31 syllable classical verse arranged in 5 lines. They were written casually and for the moment, so few are extant. The writing in the top left box is a description of Kaji.

This is one of a set of 50 prints donated to Edinburgh City Libraries by Marie Ferguson Dyer in honour of her father Henry Dyer. Dyer was a Scottish engineer who became the first Principal of the Imperial College of Engineering in Tokyo in 1872.

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Related subjects

Clothing and dress > Accessories > Fans

Clothing and dress > Accessories > Hair ornaments

Clothing and dress > Garments > Kimonos

Places > Asia > Japan

Plants > Trees > Cherry trees

Sport and leisure > Activities > Calligraphy