Ono no Komachi, 1859 - Terrific image of the beautiful Heian era poetess Ono no Komachi washing a book in an elegant lacquer basin of water. On the night before a poetry contest, one of Komachi's rivals heard her reciting her poem, and hoping to discredit her, copied the verse into a book to accuse her of plagiarism. Komachi discovered the trick, and washed away the fresh ink by rinsing the manuscript in water. She is shown here leaning over the basin, holding the book with one hand, absorbed in her task. She wears several layers of robes, one sleeve pushed down to reveal a white under robe, the sleeve tied back with a sash to keep it from getting wet. Her long hair is combed smoothly back over her shoulders, trailing to the ground across her robes. A lovely design from this famous episode, beautifully colored and detailed. Includes delicate embossing in the white robe and fine line work in the hair. The Boston Museum of Fine Arts has this image in its collection.

Artist - Toyokuni III/Kunisada (1786 - 1864)

Image Size - 9 1/2" x 14"

Condition - With excellent color and detail. Some slight rubbing and wrinkling at edges. Some minor toning at edges. Please see photos for details. Very nice overall.