The Six Poetic Immortals

Kubo Shunman

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This collaborative work by Shunman and a group of poets is an imaginary “group portrait” of the Rokkasen, or Six Poetic Immortals. These were Japanese court poets described as the leading poets of the early Heian period (794–1185) in the preface to the classical poetry anthology Collection of Poems Ancient and Modern (Kokin wakashū, ca. 905). Five men are seen gathered around Ono no Komachi, the sole woman in this venerable roster. This composition incorporates kyōka (witty thirty-one-syllable verse) by noted literati of early nineteenth-century Edo (present-day Tokyo): Shokusanjin (Ōta Nanpo, 1749–1823), Yadoya no Meshimori (1753–1830), Sakazuki no Komendo (active early nineteenth century), the artist-poet Shunman himself, and others. This type of painting was created spontaneously by poets composing verse at a public gathering.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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.

Metropolitan Museum of Art