Art Resource - ART211437

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Sugawara no Michizane in Chinese dress, Muromachi period, Japan, late 15th century. Holding a small branch of plum blossom, the badge of a Chinese scholar-gentleman. His Chinese appearance may be a reference to the legend that he studied Zen in China after his death. One of his poems is inscribed at the top of the painting. A cultural figure of the Heian period (794 -1185), he is still widely regarded in Japan as the patron of scholarship. He was a scholar of Chinese and also a politician who rose to be Minister of the Right, one of the highest ranks in the government of the time. After his death in exile there were several disasters in the capital of Kyoto which people believed were caused by his angry spirit. He was therefore raised to the rank of a Shintô deity (renamed Karai Tenjin). In the Muromachi period (1333-1568) there was a revival of interest in kambun (Chinese-style writing) and Michizane's reputation was re-established as the greatest Japanese poet who had written in the Chinese language.CREATOR: Kitagawa Utamaro
JA, JP 1 (1913.5-1.038)

Location British Museum/London/Great Britain

Unique Identifier ART211437

Type Image

Purpose Public

Size 641px × 1600px

Photo Credit Erich Lessing / Art Resource, NY

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