Lit. paintings of Teika's poems of the flowers and
birds of the twelve months. According to his diary MEIGETSUKI –¾ŒŽ‹L, in 1214
the poet Fujiwara no Teika “¡Œ´’è‰Æ (also read Sadaie, 1162-1241) was requested to
write a series of poems on birds and flowers to be inscribed on paintings of the
same theme. The flowers and birds are : 1
first month, willow yanagi –ö and warbler uguisu ‰§ ;
2 second month, cherry sakura ÷ and pheasant kiji è³
; 3 third month, wisteria (uji “¡ and
skylark hibari ‰_ ; 4 forth month,
deutzia unohana ‰K‚Ì‰Ô and cuckoo hototogisu Žž’¹ ; 5
fifth month, orange tachibana ‹k and water-rail kuina
…Œ{ ; 6 sixth month, pinks nadeshiko
•Žq and cormorant u ‰L ; 7 seventh month,
maidenflower ominaehi —˜Y‰Ô and magpie kasasagi êF ; 8 eighth month, bush-clover hagi ”‹ and wild goose hatsukari
‰Šå ; 9 ninth month, miscanthus susuki
”– and quail uzura êG ; 10 tenth month,
chrysanthemum kiku ‹e and cranes tsuru ’ß ; 11 eleventh month, loquat biwa ”ø”f and plovers chidori ç’¹
; and 12 twelfth month, early plum soubai
‘”~ and mandarin ducks mizutori …’¹. The renewed interest in Teika during
the 17c led to the production of numerous paintings based on these previously
little-known poems found in the SHUUIGUSOU Eˆâ‹ð‘, the anthology of Teika's
poetry. The theme was first painted by Tosa Mitsuoki “y²Œõ‹N (1617-91) in a pair
of handscrolls (Tokyo National Museum), and later rendered in sets of hanging
scrolls and screen compositions by Kanou Tan'yuu Žë–ì’T—H (1602-74; Univ. of Michigan,
Idemitsu oŒõ, Fujita “¡“c Museum). Sets of ceramic plates by Ogata Kenzan ”öŒ`Š£ŽR (1663-1743,
MOA, Idemitsu, LACMA), and small paintings on the theme are best known. |