Yashima Gakutei (1786?–1868), artist
Ukitei Hamamichi and Bunsensha, poets
Brush (Fude), from the series The Four Friends of the Writing Desk for the Ichiyō Circle
Color woodblock print, ca. 1827
The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs, Print Collection
Brush (Fude), from the series The Four Friends of the Writing Desk for the Ichiyō Circle
Surimono, which literally means “printed thing,” is a genre of Japanese print that combines beautiful images with poetry. Part of a series that celebrates the art of calligraphy, this surimono represents one of the “four friends of the writing desk”—the brush. (The others are paper, ink, and grinding stone.) The figure depicted is Ono no Tōfū (894–964), one of the most important calligraphers in Japanese history. According to legend, Ono no Tōfū, when a novice, grew discouraged by the slowness of his artistic progress. One day he observed a tenacious frog succeed, after many attempts, in leaping to a willow branch, and so was inspired to persevere with his work. Verses here translate: The tendrils of the green willow trail in the wind like a writing brush; a drop of the water from the willow hits the frog’s face.
: The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs, Print Co…
Currently on View at Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
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