Complete Illustrations of Yoshiwara Parodies of Kabuki: Courtesans of the Matsubaya (Seirô kabuki yatsushiga tsukushi: Matsubaya no uchi) / Kitagawa Utamaro
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Record Details
- Accession Number
- 1948/1.186
- Title
- Complete Illustrations of Yoshiwara Parodies of Kabuki: Courtesans of the Matsubaya (Seirô kabuki yatsushiga tsukushi: Matsubaya no uchi)
- Artist
- Kitagawa Utamaro
- Artist Nationality
- Japanese
- Artist Life Dates
- 1754-1806
- Medium and Support
- oban (large size) nishiki-e (full-color woodblock print) on paper, triptych
- Object Creation Date
- 1798
- Object Creation Place
- Asia (continent)
- Japan (nation)
- Kanto (region)
- Tokyo (metropolis)
- Creation Place 1
- Asia (continent)
- Creation Place 2
- Japan (nation)
- Creation Place 3
- Kanto (region)
- Creation Place 4
- Tokyo (metropolis)
- Credit Line
- Bequest of Margaret Watson Parker
- Style/Group/Movement
- ukiyo e
- Inscription
- Signed: Utamaro fude; Publisher's Seal: Tsuruya
- Dimensions
- 36.7 cm x 24.8 cm (14 7/16 in. x 9 3/4 in.)
- Century
- 18th century
- Primary Object Classification
- Primary Object Type
- color print
- Physical Description
- This triptych shows courtesans in a garden of Yoshiwara under flowering trees. The inscribed names allow us to identify the women as courtesans of the Matsubaya House, centered on the grand courtesan Yoso’oi (in the central triptych, with the dragon-design obi). Flanking her on either side are two shinzô apprentices, and at the right, two kamuro or child attendants.
- The courtesans at left interact with a puppet of the actor Ichikawa Danjûrô VI in his role as Sukeroku. The bearded older man in the center is the villain Hige no Ikyû, Sukeroku’s rival for the affections of the courtesan Agemaki.
- Subject Matter
- In the realm of the kabuki theatre, nothing was what it appeared to be. Women were played by male actors, noblemen were played by the lowest caste, and stories that seemed to be set in distant history were trenchant commentaries on current affairs. The Edo audience delighted in double and triple entendre, and in the specialized know-ledge of the cognoscenti. Utamaro caters to that taste here.
- At first glance, this print appears to be a conventional representation of the attractions of Yoshiwara. The inscribed names allow us to identify the women as courtesans of the Matsubaya House, centered on the grand courtesan Yoso’oi.
- But this scene is more than a group portrait of a bevy of beauties; it is also a parody of a famous love triangle in the kabuki theatre. Theatre fans would recognize the puppet at left as an image of the actor Ichikawa Danjûrô VI in his role as Sukeroku, a swashbuckling avenger of the oppressed. That allows us in turn to identify the bearded older man in the center as the villain Hige no Ikyû, Sukeroku’s rival for the affections of the courtesan Agemaki.
- Secondary Keywords
- transfer method
- asian
- east asian
- entertainment events
- events
- japanese
- japanese printmaking styles
- japanese styles
- objects we use
- people
- people (agents)
- people and culture
- people by occupation
- people in service occupations
- performances
- prints
- prints by process
- prints by process or technique
- prostitutes
- relief prints
- styles and periods
- styles and periods by region
- visual works
- visual works by form
- visual works by medium or technique
- Rights
- If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/about/services/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Technical Details
- Collection
- University of Michigan Museum of Art
- Image Size
- 1391 x 697
- File Size
- 130 KB
- Record
- 1948/1.186
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1948-sl-1.186/1948_1.185-187.jpg
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Related Links
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- Manifest
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https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1948-SL-1.186:1948_1.185-187.JPG
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"Complete Illustrations of Yoshiwara Parodies of Kabuki: Courtesans of the Matsubaya (Seirô kabuki yatsushiga tsukushi: Matsubaya no uchi); Kitagawa Utamaro." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1948-sl-1.186/1948_1.185-187.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 13, 2024.