Uesugi Yōzan
Mid-Edo period (18th century)
Donated by the Homma family
Uesugi Yōzan (1751–1822) was the ninth daimyō of Yonezawa Domain in Dewa Province (modern-day Yamagata Prefecture). He was a skilled ruler who successfully implemented a series of reforms to lead the domain out of its financial straits.
This piece is based on a poem by the Tang dynasty poet Xu Hun from “Two Poems from a Cottage.” The poem is a lament about financial difficulties that show no signs of recovery.
Uesugi Yōzan gave this piece to Mitsuoka, the third-generation head of the Homma family, as a gift of thanks for the Homma family’s efforts in helping with financial reforms.