Ono no Komachi Washing the Book

Discussion

FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

This design originally appeared as part of the series The Seven Fashionable Aspects of Komachi, but here it was adapted for a pictorial calendar for the year 1766. The boy is about to pour water over the woman’s writing, much in the same way Ono no Komachi washed a scroll to remove text added by a rival in a poetry contest. The name of the year is written on the boy’s sash, the short months (with 29 days) appear on the letter, and the long months (with 30 days) are written on the woman’s sleeves.

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