Imbumonin no Taifu

Here we have the first of two female poets this year - the Lady-in-waiting Sukeko. I feel a bit uncomfortable with this business of identifying a person by using another person's name. We do really know her own name - Sukeko, the daughter of Fujiwara no Nobunari, but she is now only identified by her 'job description' - as a Lady-in-waiting to the first princess of Emperor Goshirakawa. But I suppose, now that I think of it, that women today are in much the same position, going through most of their life being known by the name of the man they married. Being male, I've never had to think about it, but I'm sure that if I had been expected to change my name when I got married, I would have rebelled. I like my name. It's me. (My own wife has kept her previous name, and I think I like it better that way. It would seem strange to me if she changed it.)

Shunsho's illustration of Sukeko is quite interesting. I am sure that most of you were expecting to see another of those 'tilted head' poses with long hair curving down across the face, but not this time! If you have ever studied Ukiyo-e illustration, the face and hair on this print may seem familiar. It looks like it was designed by Suzuki Harunobu. The hair is pulled back from the forehead and is only just shoulder length, the ear is visible, and the eyebrows are deliniated with a single line each. When he was younger, Shunsho designed many prints in this 'Harunobu' style, but by the time this book came to be produced, that type of picture was 'passe'. But I like the style very much, and am glad Shunsho included one so I could get a chance at carving it! (The famous 'bin-sashi' style, seen on many of Utamaro's famous designs, with the hair spread out on each side of the face by the use of ornamental accessories, was just coming into fashion at the same time this book was being designed. We will see none in this series ...).

Another interesting feature of this print is the pose, with the kimono apparently falling open, being just held in place by her left hand. This is the type of pose that we frequently see on prints dealing with beautiful women from the Yoshiwara district, and it seems a bit incongruous to see it here in a poetry album. But I don't suppose anything is meant by it, and as she's still well covered up by the multiple layers of under kimono I hope nobody gets upset!

I hope you enjoy this print. Coming up next month, Gonchunagon Sadayori.

March 1993

The poem is Porter's 1909 translation