Asianart.com | Associations | Articles | Exhibitions | Galleries


Visitors' Forum

Asian Art  Forums - Detail List
Asian Art Forums

Message Listing by Date:
Message Index | Back | Post a New Message | Search | Private Mail | FAQ
Subject:Translation of the text of Hokusai Ukiyo-e?
Posted By: Alice Hardt Sat, Nov 04, 2017 IP: 91.115.59.224

Hello,

can somebody help me to translate the textboxes? Does they contain the Poem 1 by Emperor Tenchi of the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu? Is the signature next to the textboxes the "Zen Hokusai Manji"-signature used by Hokusai from 1834 to 1836? And why is the last character red?

Thanks in advance.





Subject:Re: Translation of the text of Hokusai Ukiyo-e?
Posted By: I.Nagy Sun, Nov 05, 2017

1st Box;

百人一首 Hyakunin Isshu、 One Hundred People, one hundred poem each

うばがゑとき, Uba ga e-toki  Explanation the meaning of pictures by a nanny

2nd Box:

天智天皇 Tenji Tenno, Emperor Tenji

秋の田の      Aki no ta no
かりほの庵の苫を Kariho no io no toma wo
あらみ arami
我衣手はつゆに Waga koromode wa tsuyu ni
ぬれつつ nure tsutsu

Because of the coarseness of rush mat
of the temporary hut,
Where the rice of autumn harvest is,
As far as my sleve is concerned,
They are becoming wet with dew.

Signature;

前北斎卍  Zen-Hokusai Manji

"Uba ga e-toki" series (28 horizontal large prints
ed. in 1835) were created with the intention that an old nanny can show the picture and give expplanation of the meaning of poems to a child.

I think, Hokusai with the red written swastika character (as a sacred Buddhist symbol) on the one hand wanted to emphasize his old age devotion to classical and religious affairs, and on the other hand he wanted to make a clear distinction between his signature and the symbol.

With regards,
I.Nagy



Subject:Re: Translation of the text of Hokusai Ukiyo-e?
Posted By: Stan Sun, Nov 05, 2017

If you are trying to determine if this is a Hokusai print, it is. Here is one at the Boston MFA:

http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/poem-by-tenchi-tenn%C3%B4-from-the-series-one-hundred-poems-explained-by-the-nurse-hyakunin-isshu-uba-ga-etoki-209286

It looks to me like it may be an original (close up pictures with more detail would help). I saw a print from this series hammer for $5000 at auction more than a decade ago. It might be worth having it checked out.

The last character is red because it is a swastika seal.

A quick google search provides the link below for the translation of the Tenchi Tennô poem. (Note that the gallery wants $16,000 for it.)

Cheers,
Stan

URL Title :Translation of Tenchi Tennô poem



Asianart.com | Associations | Articles | Exhibitions | Galleries |