Netsuke "The Poet Hitomaro" 人麻呂牙彫根付

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This 3 cm ivory sculpture is netsuke in the shape of the poet Hitomaro on show at Tokyo National Museum. It was carved by Mitsuhiro in the 19th century. 

Hitomaro (i.e., Hitomaro Kakinomoto) is a Japanese waka poet and aristocrat of the late Asuka period (592 - 710). He's so famous that even I, who am unfamiliar with Japanese waka poems, can recite the following one of his poems from memory:

東の             野に炎の             立つ見えて    かへり見すれば   月傾きぬ
ひむがしの のにかぎろひの たつみえて かへりみすれば つきかたぶきぬ
I saw the glow of the sun in the east, so I turned around, finding the moon was setting in the west.

I've loved this poem because it always makes me visualize a grand landscape with orange and azure clouds and a man, Hitomaro, standing alone in a field. But one thing bothered me. Was Hitomaro that chubby....? He was a poet, so I assumed that he was slender (I know it's illogical....). This netsuke has completely changed my perception of one of the greatest poets in Japan😆 

Netsuke in the shape of the poet Hitomaro 人麻呂牙彫根付 

If you love netsuke, read the following posts, too!
Netsuke "Nue" (Legendary Monster😱)
Netsuke "Daruma"
Netsuke "A Tortoise with Hatchlings"

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東京国立博物館の「人麻呂牙彫根付(光広作)」です。3センチほどの象牙製で19世紀の作品です。ところで、柿本人麻呂と聞いて私がすぐに思い出すのが下の歌です。

東の野に炎の立つ見えてかへり見すれば月傾きぬ

東に太陽が昇りかけ、西に月が沈みかけている雄大な野原に人麻呂が一人立ち、歌を詠んでいる姿をいつも想像していたのですが、問題が一つ。人麻呂ってこんなにプクプクだったの?勝手に痩せた詩人を想像していました。。。 私の人麻呂像を完全に破壊した根付です😆

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