Ono no Komachi with her assistant, washing a book of poetry

In one of the many legends surrounding the 9th-century Japanese poet Ono no Komachi, a male adversary, jealous of her poetical prowess, copies her latest poem into an old manuscript book in an attempt to frame her for plagiarism. She exonerates herself by washing the freshly inked words from the book, as shown in this surimono (bottom left) by Keisai Eisen. The print’s verses are by two women poets of the 19th century. Eisen was known for his depictions of feminine beauty. In the other example shown here (bottom right), a nobleman smiles as his comely young male servant uproots pine saplings from the snowy earth. Five poets each supplied a verse about the New Year’s holiday known as Day of the Rat.