Description of Exhibition

Archival materials related to Ogata Kōrin (1658–1716) provide invaluable insight into the celebrated Rinpa artist. This collection, passed down within the Konishi family into which his son Junichirō was adopted, includes not only records of the Kariganeya, a prominent Kyoto textile business run by the Ogata family, but also documents concerned with household finances and daily life, along with a broad range of Kōrin’s original sketches and designs.
The Kyoto National Museum was recently entrusted with the “Kōrin karuta,” a renowned set of karuta playing cards hand-painted by Kōrin, which illustrate the poetry anthology Ogura hyakunin isshu (One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each). The museum’s collection includes sketches of this very card set. This exhibition showcases the Kōrin karuta and corresponding sketches, along with other related materials from the Konishi Family Archives, offering a rare and valuable glimpse into the foundations of Kōrin’s art.

Karuta Cards of the Ogura hyakunin isshu (One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each) Poetry Anthology
By Ogata Kōrin