Moral Teaching for Young Girls Mirrored in the Thirty-six Poets

(Sanjûrokkasen dôjo kyôkun kagami, 三十六歌仙童女教訓鏡)

Publisher: Wakasa-ya Yoichi

c. 1843

The “Thirty-Six Immortal Poets” is a collection of 36 waka (31-syllable) poems written from the 7^th to the 11^th centuries. This series of prints likens beautiful women to these famous poems, and is listed as number 98 in Kuniyoshi by Basil William Robinson (Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1961). The subterfuge of moral teachings and classic poetry was a way of circumventing a ban on prints of beautiful women. The prints are each about 14 by 10 inches (36 by 25 centimeters), a size known as ôban. I am grateful to Ward Pieters for assisting with this series.

	Poet: Chûnagon Yakamochi (中納言家持) Description: Beauty with a fan and a peacock in the background
	Another state of the above print
	Yet another state
	Poet: Gon Chunason Atsutada Description: Beauty gathering sea-shells
	Another state of the above print
	Poet: Sarumaru Daiyu (猿丸太夫) Description: Beauty struggling against an autumn breeze
	Poet: Onakatomi no Yoritomo Ason (大中臣頼基朝臣) Description: Beauty mending a paper sliding door
	Another state of the above print courtesy of Terry Accola
	Yet another state
	Poet: Soseo Hôshi Description: Enjoying the moon
	Poet: Fujiwara no Takamitsu (藤原高光) Description: Beauty looking out a window
	Poet: Kinchu no Ason Description:
	Poet: Chunagon Asatada (中納言朝忠) Description: Beauty in a blue and white turban weaving at a loom
	Poet: Saigû no Nyôgô (歳宮女御) Description: Beauty with a koto
	I am grateful to Dr. Michael M. Cohen for providing this alternative state of the above design and the following two different translations of the poem: The sound of wind in pine trees is heard in the sound of the koto; which strings of such koto of pine tree wind were first plucked? In the sound of my harp the music of the mountain pines seems to vibrate. From which peak (or string*) does it issue? *A play on words: the Japanese “o” used in the poem has the double meaning of “peak” and “string”. This was compared by the poetess upon the theme of the wind in the pines brushing the koto (Japanese harp) at night.
	Poet: Ki no Tomonori (記友則) Description: Beauty playing with a cat
	Poet: Chunagon Kaheura Description: Young woman carrying a basket full of flowers on her back
	Poet: Kakinomoto Hitomaru Description: A young girl walking in blustery rain with umbrella and text book under her arm
	Poet: Oshikochi Mitsune (凡河内躬恒) Description: Woman carrying a wooden washtub
	An aizuri-e version of the above design

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