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Satake Version of the Thirty-six Immortal Poets

  • Image of "Thirty-six Immortal Poets, Satake version; Onono Komachi, Kamakura period, 13th century (Important Cultural Property, Private collection) "

    Thirty-six Immortal Poets, Satake version; Onono Komachi, Kamakura period, 13th century (Important Cultural Property, Private collection)

    Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room T1
    September 5, 2006 (Tue) - October 1, 2006 (Sun)

    Poems have been a way of expressing feelings in both the Eastern and Western world since long ago. Among the many masters of poems in Japan, Kakinomoto no Hitomaro and Yamabe no Akahito became revered as immortal poets as early as the beginning of the 10th century.

    The worship of master poets was popular throughout the Heian period (794-1185). Completion of "Selected Poems by Thirty-six Master Poets," a listing of famous and influential poets created by Fujiwara no Kinto (966-1041), led to various versions of paintings of The Thirty-six Immortal Poets.

    Among the numerous paintings of The Thirty-six Immortal Poets that exist today, the oldest and highest-quality are paintings that were once owned by the Satake family, head of Akita fief. The breath-taking and exquisite portraits of the Satake version scroll have attracted many art lovers by using a portrait style known as nise-e to depict the poets in yamato-e style. The portraits were originally on two scrolls, but they were cut apart into individual portraits in 1919 (Taisho 8) by refined art connoisseurs in the Okyo-kan, which is now relocated in the museum's garden.

    This exhibition features the Satake version of the Thirty-six Immortal Poets with enlarged photographs to present the finely detailed features. Copied versions of The Thirty-six Immortal Poets are also displayed, allowing you to realize the artistic influence these paintings have exerted. We hope you will enjoy the artistically rich world of The Thirty-six Immortal Poets.

 Major works in this exhibition

* Works listed below are in the TNM Collection unless otherwise indicated.
 Thirty-six Immortal Poets, Satake version; Sumiyoshi Myojin, Kamakura period, 13th century (Important Cultural Property, Gift of Mr. Matsunaga Yasuzaemon)
Thirty-six Immortal Poets, Satake version; Onono Komachi, Kamakura period, 13th century (Important Cultural Property, Private collection)
Thirty-six Immortal Poets, Satake version: Mibu no Tadamine, Kamakura period, 13th century (Important Cultural Property, Gift of Mr. Hara Misao)
Thirty-six Immortal Poets, Satake version: Fujiwara no Okikaze, Kamakura period, 13th century (Important Cultural Property, Private collection, On Exhibit from September 20, 2006)
Exhibitions