Poem by Tenchi Tenno by Hokusai

Artist: Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849)

Woodblock Prints Title: Poem by Tenchi Tennô, from the series One Hundred Poems Explained by the Nurse (Hyakunin isshu uba ga etoki)

1st Publication: 1835

Size: Horizontal ôban; 25.5 x 37.1 cm (10 x 14 5/8 in.)

Date of this edition: 1835, 1st Edition

Publisher: Nishimuraya Yohachi (Eijudô)

Condition: A couple of pinholes repaired nearly invisible. Print is slightly trimmed on the right side affecting the singature. Mild color fading, some remnant (Paper) from prior mounting on the upper right corner. Very good colors, excellent impression and overall condition.

Notes: The print is signed Zen Saki no Hokusai Manji. It is the first print of the 100 Poems by the nurse series. This print is in excellent condition, and look even better in real than in pictures.

More about this print:

The emperor Tenchi (628-681) was renowned for his benevolence and created the first code of civil law in Japan.

The poem reads:
aki no ta no, Kario no io no, Toma wo arami, Waga koromode wa, Tsuyu ni nure-tsutsu

It translates by:
Coarse to the rushed made roof, Sheltering the harvest, Of the autumn rice field, as my sleeves are growing wet, with the moisture dripping through.

The emperor composed this poem as he was travelling the country, and had to take shelter in a small hut where the roof was leaking. This poems is full of symbols, expressing the compassion and sympathy toward the field rice workers and their hard life.

Pictures: Pictures are taken outdoor, in the shade, to reflect true colors, without any enhancements of any kind. The last picture is taken indoor, with a light behind the print, to reveal the exact paper grain, holes if any, or other possible flaws.