Ono no Tofu, from the series "A Gathering of the Elders of Poetry (Shoshikai bantsuzuki)"
c. 1820
Medium
Color woodblock print; shikishiban, surimono
Dimensions
21.3 × 18.4 cm (8 7/16 × 7 1/4 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
23589
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan (1603–1868), Totoya Hokkei (1780–1850), a skilled ukiyo-e artist pupil of the famed Katsushika Hokusai, created this exquisite color woodblock print around 1820. Titled *Ono no Tofu, from the series "A of the Elders of PoetryShoshikai bantsuzuki)"*, it portrays Ono no Tōfū (894–964), a Heian-era courtier renowned as one of Japan's "Three Great Calligraphers" (Sanseki). Tōfū is depicted in traditional robes, evoking the refined world of classical waka poetry and calligraphy that influenced centuries of Japanese culture. This shikishiban surimono—a squar...
About the Artist
Totoya Hokkei · 1780–1850
Totoya Hokkei (魚屋 北渓, 1780–1850), born Iwakubo Tatsuyuki in Edo (modern Tokyo), began his life as a humble fishmonger in the Yotsuya Samegahashi district, a trade reflected in his art name "Totoya," meaning fish shop. He transitioned to art through rigorous training, first studying under Kanō Yōsen'in Korenobu, head of the Kobikichō branch of the prestigious Kanō school, where he honed landscape p...