Kiyohara Yukinobu “Wang Zhaojun”

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IItem No.
Title	Kiyohara Yukinobu “Wang Zhaojun”
Overall size
Artwork size
Artist	Kiyohara Yukinobu (1643-1682)
Date Created	Late 17th century
Price	¥500,000（excluding tax ）

　This is a work by Kiyohara Yukinobu (1643-1682), a female painter of the Kano school who studied under Kano Tan-yu and was counted among the Four Devas of his school.

　A woman is facing a mirror and tying her hair. Her plump face, supple fingertips, and slender, graceful appearance …… Yukinobu’s brushwork depicts the women’s graceful beauty with great delicacy. The depiction of her face reflected in the mirror on the right is also a point of interest.

　Now, let’s take a look at the compliment at the top of the painting.

　「みる度に　鑑のかげの　つらきかな　かからざりせば　かからましやば」
　Miru tabi ni kagami no kage no tsuraki kana kakarazariseba kakaramashiyaba

（Every time I look in the mirror, my heart aches at my reflection in the mirror. If I had not been like this, I would not be like this.　）

　This poem is said to have been written by the mid-Heian period monk Kaien and inspired by Bai Juyi’s poem “Wang Zhaojun, Two Poems No.1”. Wang Zhaojun was a courtesan of Emperor Yuan of the Former Han Dynasty, and is known for the anecdote that she was married off to the King of the Xiongnu in order to pursue a policy of reconciliation. As she gazes into the mirror, her gaze may be focused not on her own beauty, but on the tumultuous fate that her beauty has brought about.
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　Kiyohara Yukinobu (1643-1682) was a female painter of the Kano school active in the early Edo period. Along with her father, Kusumi Morikage, she was known as one of the Four Heavenly Kings under Kano Tan-yu.

As an antique, it may have some scratches or blemishes. We recommend that you visit our store to check the condition.
If you wish, we will send you detailed photos of the item, so please feel free to contact us.