Untitled series of the Seven Komachi

Publisher: Enshū-ya Matabei

1847-1848

 

This series of fan prints (uchiwa) shows beautiful women likened to seven legends concerning Ono no Komachi, a beautiful ninth century poetess.  The seven legends are taken from the “Nanakomachi” noh plays, which deal with apocryphal incidents from the poetess’s life.  The seven episodes are: Shimizu Komachi (or Kiyomizu Komachi), Amagoi Komachi (or Yamamoto Komachi), Soushi-arai Komachi, Kayoi Komachi, Ōmu Komachi, Sekidera Komachi and Sotouba Komachi.  The series is not listed in Kuniyoshi by Basil William Robinson (Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1961). 

 

Title: Amagoi Komachi (雨乞小町), literally rain-prayer Komachi 

Comment: Komachi ends a drought by offering the following poem as a prayer for rain, “It is only reasonable since this is the Land of the Rising Sun for the sun to shine.  Nevertheless, it is also called ama-ga-shita.”  (both 天 [heaven] and 雨 [rain] reads ame/ama). Usually depicted is the petitioning Komachi by the shore of a pond in heavy rain–often with a servant holding an umbrella.

 

Image courtesy of Richard Illing

Title: Soushi-arai Komachi (草紙洗小町), literally Komachi washing a book

Comment: The night before a poetry contest at the Imperial Palace, Ootomo no Kuronushi overhears his rival, Ono no Komachi, recite her entry aloud to herself.  Hoping to disqualify her, he writes it into a copy of the Man’youshuu, and on the day of the competition accuses her of plagiarism.  However, Komachi washes (arai) the book (soushi), whereupon the fresh ink washed away and exposes Kuronushi’s scheme.  The poem reads, “No one has sown it–from what seed issues the floating grass which in the watery furrow of the waves sprouts and grows thick?”

 

Image courtesy of Richard Illing

Title: Oumu Komachi (鴎鵡小町), literally parrot Komachi

Comment: The emperor sends a poem of pity to the aged Komachi: “Although above the clouds things do not change from how they were in the past, do you look back fondly on your time spent within the jeweled curtains”.  By changing only one word of the emperor’s poem, Komachi demonstrates that age has not dulled her wit, “Although above the clouds things do not change from how they were in the past, I do indeed look back fondly on my time spent within the jeweled curtains.”  Illustrations frequently include a parrot–often painted on a screen–because to repeat another’s words mechanically is called “parrot’s repetition”.

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