定家詠十二ヶ月花鳥図|Fujiwara no Teika’s “Poems on Flowers and Birds of the Twelve Months”

Unknown

18th century · Handscroll; ink and color on paper · Asian Art

One of the greatest literary arbiters of the classical to early medieval era, Fujiwara no Teika (also known as Sadaie, 1162–1241) was a critic, calligrapher, and diarist as well as an author of waka (31-syllable verse) poetry. He was appointed to the Kyoto court’s Bureau of Poetry in 1201, and enjoyed the patronage of Retired Emperor Gotoba (1180–1239). A prolific author, he produced numerous poems and literary commentaries, and was the primary compiler of the eighth imperially-commissioned anthology of poetry, “New Collection of Ancient and Modern Poetry” (Shinkokin wakashū, circa 1205). His literary achievements exerted a strong influence on Japanese poetry even into modern times. This handscroll contains waka by Teika dedicated to flowers and birds of the twelve months of the year. Each waka accompanies a delicate image replete with poetic and seasonal references, painted in a style derived from the traditional yamato-e (Japanese-style painting) mode of narrative illustration.

Artist

Unknown

Date

18th century

Medium

Handscroll; ink and color on paper

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation, 2015