Poetry Contest between Poets of Different Periods: Ariwara no Yukihira, Kamakura period, 13th century
Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 3
August 17, 2021 (Tue) - September 26, 2021 (Sun)
After emulating China for generations, the imperial court began to develop its own cultural identity around the 10th century. This movement was led by the court nobility serving the emperor. The body of work they produced — literature, calligraphy, painting, and elegantly decorated items for daily use — became one of Japan’s cultural foundations.
Even after the samurai gained more political power than the court in the 12th century, the court remained the home of high culture for centuries.
The different art forms of the court were closely related, with literature playing a central role. Previously the nobility wrote in Chinese, but the creation of a new writing system (kana) helped Japanese literature to flourish. Both noblemen and noblewomen wrote some of Japan’s most celebrated poetry and stories, including by the court lady Murasaki Shikibu. Scenes from literature were also shown in paintings and on furnishings, which the nobility commissioned for their mansions.
Designation | Name | Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance |
Period | Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number |
CMT | ||
Highlight | Important Cultural Property | The Poet Kakinomoto no Hitomaro | Attributed to Takuma Eiga; inscription by Shōkai Reiken (1315–96) | Painting: Nanbokuchō–Muromachi period, 14th century | Lent by the Tokiwayama Bunko Foundation, Tokyo | ||
Highlight | Poetry Contest between Poets of Different Periods: Ariwara no Yukihira | Kamakura period, 13th century | A-10488 | ||||
Highlight | Poetry Contest between Poets of Different Periods: Fujiwara no Toshiyuki | Kamakura–Nanbokuchō period, 14th century | Private collection | ||||
Highlight | Portraits of Immortal Poets, Emperor Go-Komatsu Version: The Monk-Poet Saigyō | Muromachi period, 16th century | Gift of Mr. Bernard V. A. Roling, A-11957 | ||||
Highlight | Important Cultural Property | Record of the Poetry Contest Held at the Residence of the Minister of the Center | Attributed to Saigyō | Heian period, 12th century | Lent by the Agency for Cultural Affairs | ||
Highlight | Important Cultural Property | Record of the Poetry Contest Held at Sumiyoshi Shrine | Attributed to Saigyō | Heian period, 12th century | Lent by the Agency for Cultural Affairs |