Chō Kōran
Chō Kōran | |
---|---|
Born | 1804 Sone, Mino Province, Japan |
Died | 1879 (aged 74–75) |
Nationality | Japanese |
Occupation(s) | Poet, artist |
Spouse | Yanagawa Seigan |
Chō Kōran (張 紅蘭, 1804–1879) was a Japanese poet and artist, known for her study of Chinese arts and specialization in bunjinga ink paintings. She traveled extensively across Japan with her husband, fellow poet Yanagawa Seigan , and her poetry and artwork was published in several volumes. Later in life, she founded a private school and taught Chinese poetry to women.
Early life
Kōran was born in 1804 in the village of Sone in Mino Province (now Gifu Prefecture). Her father was a country samurai. Kōran's parents encouraged her formal education – an unusual move in a culture that did not prioritize early academic learning for girls – and Kōran subsequently learned to read and write Chinese from her uncle, a priest at the Kakeiji temple.[1][2]
Marriage and artistic career
As a teenager, Kōran studied Chinese poetry under the instruction of well-known poet Yanagawa Seigan (1789–1858), and their relationship developed into something more. When Kōran was 17, she married Seigan.[1][2]
The couple traveled across Japan after their marriage, meeting fellow scholars, poets and artists, alongside new patrons.
In 1832, the couple moved to Edo (now Tokyo), and Seigan founded a school. Kōran's talent as a painter was attracting public notice, and an illustration of one of her bamboo paintings was included in the Hyaku meika gafu (Album of Calligraphy and Painting by 100 Artists), published in 1837. Four years later, Kōran published a book of her poems titled Kōran kōshu (selected poems by Kōran). With her earnings from the sale of her paintings, Kōran was now able to supplement her husband's income.[2]
In 1845, the couple moved to
After being released from prison, Kōran proceeded to establish her own private school, where she taught Chinese poetry to other women and girls. Kōran continued to write poetry and paint bunjinga, remaining active in the literary and artistic community for the rest of her life.[2]
Death and legacy
Kōran died in 1879. By the time of her death, she had written approximately 400 poems. A collection of poems from the latter half of her life was published posthumously, titled Kōran ikō (posthumous manuscripts of Kōran).[2]
In Ōgaki, there is a memorial hall dedicated to Kōran and Seigan.[1]
References
- ^ ISBN 9780824811495.
- ^ OCLC 167505633.
- ISBN 9780313288036.
- ^ Olsen (1994), p. 137.