Sei-shonagon Lifting up a Bamboo Blind (Translation)
清少納言図 江戶時代 橋本雅邦筆 絹本著色 (Primary Title)
Hashimoto Gaho 橋本雅邦, Japanese, 1835-1908 (Artist)
On a snowy day, seated around the brazier with her court ladies, Empress Teisi (r. 990–1001) asked, “how is the snow at Mount Xianglu?” Sei Shonagon, court poetess, immediately walked to the window. Using abundant ink washes, Rinpa-school artist Gaho captures this moment as she lifts the bamboo blinds, revealing her understanding of Chinese Tang-dynasty poet Bai Juyi’s verse, “lifting the blinds, looking at Mount Xianglu.”
Kano School 狩野派
Nihong-ga (Japanese style of painting)
Edo (1615-1868) or Meiji period (1868-1912)
勝園雅邦筆 Shouen Gaho hitsu (Painted by Shouen Gaho)
雅邦 Gaho
Storage box: 清少納言圖 雅邦先生筆 (Sei-shonagon painted by Gaho); underside of box lid: 玉堂芳題 (Inscribed by Gyokudo Yoshi) with seal 玉堂 Gyokudo
Arthur and Margaret Glasgow Endowment
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC
Some object records are not complete and do not reflect VMFA's full and current knowledge. VMFA makes routine updates as records are reviewed and enhanced.