offer expires at 12:01 AM PDT on 15 May 2026

Description

大田垣蓮月 Otagaki Rengetsu (1791-1875) Japanese antique art kakejiku kakemono wall hanging scroll / Tanzaku Waka Poem 世の中の ちりもにごりも ~ with Box RE643

世の中の ちりもにごりも ながれては 清きにかへる かもの川浪
Yononaka no chiri mo nigori mo nagare te wa kiyoki ni kaeru Kamo no kawanami.
The world's dust and silt washed away... purity returns to the flowing waters of the Kamo River.

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 'Rengetsu 78 years old' 蓮月七十八才

The tanzaku shows Rengetsu’s poem brushed in a soft, slightly wavering line that follows the natural fibers of the paper, the faint blue wash at the top giving a lightness that suits the poem’s image of impurities carried off by flowing water; her handwriting at age seventy‑eight retains its characteristic restraint, neither tightened nor decorative, and the scroll bears the signature ‘Rengetsu 78 years old,’ while the piece is accompanied by its box, and as the work is viewed over time the gentle interaction between the poem’s clear sentiment and the subdued texture of the paper tends to draw the eye back to the quiet shifts in tone, creating a presence that remains steady without pressing itself forward.

Whole dimensions: 12.1" W x 19" H / 30.8cm x 148.5cm
Inside dimensions: 2.3" W x 13.8" H / 6cm x 35.3cm

Material: Paper
Technique: Handpainted
Roller ends: Plastic

Weight: 400g 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, 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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