Ono no Komachi

The museum's collection includes three ukiyo-e graphic works by Kawanabe Kyōsai. Kawanabe Kyōsai is considered one of the last virtuosos of traditional Japanese painting. The work shows Ono no Komachi – the waka poet of the Heian period. This is one of her traditional portrayals, where she is depicted in old age. It is based on a legend where she was punished for cruel treatment of her lovers. Her beauty is gone, her clothes are ragged and her appearance is so miserable that she is ridiculed by everyone around her.