Sei Shonagon, from the series Ancient Patterns (Kodai moyo)

In this 19th-century triptych, Kobayashi Kiyochika depicted the revered tenth-century poet Sei Shōnagon, author of The Pillow Book, a collection of writings reflecting on her time as a court lady. She is dressed as a 10th-century woman, wearing a wide-brimmed traveler’s hat and veil. Her veil is beautifully rendered, and the artist muted the colors seen through it. The poem by Shōnagon reads:

Flee as I might,
If I remain within this world
I tire of nowhere:
Such a lovely place to live.

(Translation by Henry D. Smith II)