Parody Picture of the Six Immortal Poets

The subject of this long, horizontal surimono print is an example of a kind of visual pun popular in the Edo period. Known as “parody pictures” (mitate-e 見立絵), a common version took themes from Chinese or Japanese classical literature and portrayed them in contemporary terms, often creating elaborate intellectual puzzles. The classical subject here is the Six Immortal Poets (Rokkasen 六歌仙) of the 9th century. Although at first seemingly a group of Edo period women reading poems together, the woman in red at the top right helps to establish the theme. Her Heian period (794–1185 AD) clothing and hairstyle identify her as Ono no Komachi 小野小町, the one female member of the Six Immortal Poets. On the screen is another member, Ariwara no Narihira 在原業平, in a famous scene from the Tales of Ise (Ise monogatari 伊勢物語) where the poet sees Mt. Fuji and composes a poem. The six figures in the print, then, are probably to be taken as the Six Immortal Poets, with the one covered by the screen a stand-in for Narihira.