Courtier and Two Ladies of the Court, with a Poem by Mibu no Tadamine

Courtier and Two Ladies of the Court, with a Poem by Mibu no Tadamine

Rekisentei Eiri

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The image presents a fanciful depiction of a court poet accompanied by two young women in contemporary Edo garb. The poem is by Mibu no Tadamine, an early Heian courtier-poet (active 898–920) who was counted among the Thirty-Six Poetic Immortals (Sanjūrokkasen). The poem refers to the New Year’s custom of plucking pine saplings while composing poems praying for long life; it reads: Ne no hi suru nobe ni komatsu no nakariseba chiyo no tameshi ni nani o hikamashi If on the day of the rat no pine saplings are to be found what should we pluck to pray for longevity? —[Mibu no] Tadamine (Trans. John T. Carpenter)

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Courtier and Two Ladies of the Court, with a Poem by Mibu no TadamineCourtier and Two Ladies of the Court, with a Poem by Mibu no TadamineCourtier and Two Ladies of the Court, with a Poem by Mibu no TadamineCourtier and Two Ladies of the Court, with a Poem by Mibu no TadamineCourtier and Two Ladies of the Court, with a Poem by Mibu no Tadamine

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.