Papier: Fujiwara no Sadaie
ca. 1827
Medium
nishikie, with metallic pigments and tsuyazuri
Dimensions
209; 184
About this artwork
collector's mark, verso, stamped: Lugt 2228
Art Historical Context
Behold *Papier: Fujiwara noadaie*, a delicate surimono woodblock print Yashima Gakutei, crafted around 1827 during Japan's vibrant Edo period. Gakutei, an Osaka-based ukiyo master renowned for his poetic yakusha-e (actor portraits) and private commissions, pays homage here to Fujiwara no Sadaie—better known as Fujiwara noika—one of Japan's greatest waka poets of the Kamakura era. This intimate work, measuring just 209 × 184 mm, captures the refined elegance of classical literary figures, blending artistry with cultural reverence. The medium shines as a nishikie, or "brocade picture," a luxuri...
About the Artist
Yashima Gakutei · 1786–1868
Yashima Gakutei (c. 1786–1868), born in Osaka as the illegitimate son of a Tokugawa shogunate samurai named Hirata, adopted the name from his mother's subsequent marriage into the Yashima clan. Little is documented about his early years beyond these familial ties, but he pursued artistic training under the esteemed ukiyo-e masters Totoya Hokkei and Katsushika Hokusai, absorbing their precision in ...