Woman and Attendant

Calligrapher Shikitei Sanba Japanese

ca. 1795

Not on view

Toyokuni was one of the most prolific artists of the late Edo period. During his early career, he portrayed women with particularly graceful necks, as exemplified by this image of a courtesan on her way to see her first customer of the evening by the light of a lantern held by an attendant. She is neatly dressed, with every hair in place. Red color applied here and there reveals her youth and vibrancy. On the upper section of the scroll, a poem by Shikiteri Sanba (1776–1822), a noted author of popular literature, is inscribed:
Chosen for the first time,
Before becoming accustomed,
It is difficult to make footsteps
in the snow.

Artwork Details

Title: Woman and Attendant
Artist: Utagawa Toyokuni I (Japanese, 1769–1825)
Calligrapher: Shikitei Sanba (Japanese, 1776–1822)
Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
Date: ca. 1795
Culture: Japan
Medium: Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk
Dimensions: 34 3/4 x 10 1/2 in. (88.3 x 26.7 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: The Howard Mansfield Collection, Purchase, Rogers Fund, 1936
Object Number: 36.100.86
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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Kayoi Komachi, from the series "Seven Episodes of the Poet Komachi", Utagawa Toyokuni I Japanese, Woodblock print; ink and color on paper, Japan — Kayoi Komachi, from the series "Seven Episodes of the Poet Komachi"
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ca. 1795

The Fourth Month, Utagawa Toyokuni I Japanese, Two sheets of a triptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper, Japan — The Fourth Month
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