Description

大田垣蓮月 Otagaki Rengetsu (1791-1875) Japanese antique art kakejiku kakemono wall hanging scroll / Tanzaku Two Waka Poems ひなづるの 行末とほき ~ 万代も たえぬ流れと ~ with Box RE310

ひなづるの 行末とほき こえ聞ば 御代を千とせと うたふなりけり
Hinazuru no yukusue tooki koe kike ba miyo wo chitose to utau nari keri.
A young crane his timeless voice heard from afar— an imperial reign for a thousand generations to celebrate in song.

万代も たえぬ流れと しめつらん その亀の尾の 山のした水
Yorozuyo mo tae nu nagare to shime tsu ran so no kame no o no yama no shitamizu.
10,000 ages— to endure so long so well downstream waters from Turtle Tail Peak.

大田垣蓮月 Otagaki Rengetsu (1791-1875)
A female poet from the end of the Edo period to the beginning of the Meiji period. Born in Kyoto. She was adopted by 大田垣光古 Otagaki Teruhisa, samurai who served at Chion-in Temple, when she was only 10 days old. She later married 望古 Mochihisa, the adopted son of Teruhisa. She and Mochihisa had three children, all of whom died at an early age. She also lost her husband, Mochihisa soon. At the age of 33, she lost her second husband, 古肥 Hisatoshi. She and Hisatoshi had one daughter, but the daughter and Mochiko died in 1823. She shaved her head and took the name "Rengetsuni / Nun Rengetsu". After that, Rengetsu moved from place to place and was known as "Moving house Rengetsu" because of her love of moving. After her children died, she lost her father at the age of 42 and lived a life of poverty and solitude. After her father's death, she made her own pottery with waka poems carved with nails, which was called "Rengetsu-yaki". Rengetsu-yaki was so popular as a souvenir of Kyoto, but the sales were given to the poor. She loved 富岡鉄斎 Tomioka Tessai (1837-1924) as if he were her own child. She died at the age of 85, 1875 at 神光院 Jinkoin. She excelled in waka poetry, and was also skilled in calligraphy, painting, naginata, and Go. In waka poetry, she wrote many feminine and delicate epic poems, and was good at writing plain epic poems. Rengetsu was also known for his good looks. It is said that some men approached her because of her beauty which never waned even as she grew older. There is an anecdote that she deliberately pulled out her teeth to ruin her beauty and protected herself from temptation.

with signature '81 years old Rengetsu' 八十一蓮月

The soft grain of the tanzaku paper carries the brushwork with a quiet, tactile presence, allowing the two waka poems to unfold with the gentle clarity characteristic of Otagaki Rengetsu’s hand, their themes of distant cranes and enduring mountain waters echoing the poet’s lifelong engagement with impermanence and resilience; Rengetsu (1791–1875), born in Kyoto and later known as a wandering nun after a life marked by repeated personal loss, became celebrated for her waka, calligraphy, painting, and the carved-poem pottery known as Rengetsu‑yaki, and this scroll bears the signature ‘81 years old Rengetsu,’ while the piece is accompanied by its box, allowing the paired poems’ steady, reflective cadence to settle into a quiet, enduring presence.

Whole dimensions: 11.5" W x 65.3" H / 29.3cm x 166cm
Inside dimensions: 2.3" W x 14.1" H / 6cm x 36cm

Material: Paper
Technique: Handpainted
Roller ends: Wood

Weight: 350g including Box

Condition

Antique items have originally crease, stain, damage, and more. I would like you to refer to the listing photos, but please understand that it's difficult to show all conditions by the photos. Special notes: STAIN a little, CREASE a little, FOLD, WARP, STAIN in the back of the mounting.

About the colors of the photos

The color of the actual item may look different from the picture because of the lighting. The color on a photo can differ because of light, screen settings, personal color perception, etc. Please understand that we can't control the varying light in different environments. Please read the description, check the actual photos, and ask questions if doubts in advance.

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