Ōta Nanpo

Born into a lower-status samurai family in Edo, Nanpo served the shogunate in various ways throughout his life.

He began his literary career as a student of Chinese Ming-dynasty writings, and adapted traditional Chinese comic verse (called kyōshi in Japanese), under the mentorship of playwright Hiraga Gennai, to daily life in Edo.

Many paintings bears his original calligraphy and poem, he also worked together with artists in making prints, surimono and ehon.

The inscribed works includes examples by the kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjūrō V, the geisha Katsu, the courtesan Nareginu, the kyōka master Shikatsube Magao, the novelist Santō Kyōden, and the kanshi (Chinese-style verse) poets Kikuchi Gozan and Ōkubo Shibutsu.

A further two fan paintings, one with a Chinese-style landscape by Haruki Nanmei (1795–1878) and a playful image of the Chinese poet Li Bai in his cups by Unshitsu Dojin, shows Shokusanjin's links to the more aloft of the literati artists.

The album is a compendium of material documenting the interaction between prominent members of literary, theatre, and art circles of the day.