National Treasure Gallery: Wakatai jisshu (Treatise on poetry)
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Wakatai jisshu (Treatise on poetry) (detail), Heian period, 11th century (National Treasure)
Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 2
June 5, 2018 (Tue) - July 8, 2018 (Sun)Wakatai jisshu is a treatise on poetry which is said to have been written by Mibu no Tadamine, a poet who was active around the 10th century, during the mid-Heian period. It discusses waka poems by categorizing them into ten styles according to the norm in China. For each style, five example poems were provided, accompanied by short explanations in Chinese. The work on display is the oldest extant copy of this treatise. Its highlight is the splendid harmony created by the elegant kanji and kana characters written on the decorated paper featuring a tobikumo, or “flying cloud,” pattern in indigo and purple.
| Designation | Name | Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance |
Period | Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number |
CMT | ||
| Highlight | National Treasure | [Wakatai jisshu] (Treatise on poetry) | Heian period, 11th century | B-3231 |