Hokkei: Lady Yuya 湯谷; Surimono of Woman Playing Koto and Listening Lord

Artist: Totoya Hokkei (1780-1850)
Title: Yuya 湯谷
Date: ca. 1820s

Lady Yuya, the owner of Ikeda Inn of Totomi, (present Shizuoka Pref.) was serving Taira-no-Munemori 平宗盛 in Kyoto, who adored her very much. Lady Yuya heard that her old mother at home had become in weakening health, so Yuya requested to have a leave so that she could visit her sick mother.  However Munemori did not want her to leave him alone. Moreover he asked her to accompany him for cherry blossom viewing of the spring of the year. Then maid Asagao 朝顔 from Totomi brought her a letter from her mother, saying that her condition had worsened and she wanted to see Yuya once before her farewell from this world.  Yuya once more asked his permission to visit her mother due to the serious situation of her mother, showing him the letter。Yet Munemori ordered her to accompany him for the cherry blossom festival. At the festival when she was dancing in sorrow, and her mind far away to her mother, suddenly it started to fall shower and washed all the cherry blossoms away. Yuya, then wrote a waka poem, how she dearly wants to see her mother and presented to Munemori. Her sincere love to her mother struck him  at last and allowed her to return to visit her mother. This is taken from a Noh play.

Here Hokkei depicts Munemori at court reading a poem and Yuya playing koto harp in front of him. The scene is accompanied by a waka poem by Seiyookan Umeyo 青陽館梅世 who was a juror for the poets group, Hanazono-ren花園連. (？九重の　花をさそへる　松風も　なれしあづまの　琴や　ひくらん？　Kokonoe-no hana o sasoeru matsukaze mo nareshi azumano koto ya hikuran).

There is extensive use of silver in the printing of the water, his cushion and their robes.

SKU: HKC010T