The ‘Hon’ami-gire’ Fragment of the poem anthology ‘Kokin wakashu’

This fragment, transcribing poems from Kokin-wakashū, is named after Hon’ami Kōetsu who treasured it. Each kana script, written on the indigo blue Chinese paper with a design of cranes flying in clouds formed in mica flakes, is extremely small compared to other famous works in kana calligraphy of the Heian period. Nonetheless the brushwork is vigorous.