The Hell Courtesan
Seikei Japanese
Not on view
Perhaps reflective of the unstable political climate, the Hell Courtesan (Jigoku Dayū) was popularly depicted in woodblock prints and paintings especially during the transitional years between the Edo and Meiji periods. Centrally located on the back of the high-ranking courtesan’s robe is Emma-Ō, one of the Ten Kings of Hell, getting ready to sentence a sinner. He is surrounded by horned demons, strategically depicted along the garment folds, whose job it is to carry out punishments. By contrast, the obi shows a bodhisattva with attendants, who are descending from the heaven as saviors for the deceased.
No biographical information about this artist or other works with the same signature have come to light. A nearly identical painting by Haruki Nanmei (1795–1878), dated to 1865 and in a private Japanese collection, was no doubt the inspiration for this later work.
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