Courtesan and Attendant with a Cage of Fireflies

ca. 1770

Not on view

Nishikigi and an attendant are captured before an open doorway as they stroll on a hot summer night. Their way is lit by lanterns in a wisteria arbor and by a cage of fireflies. Perhaps owing to the season, Nishikigi is not wearing the brocade costume suggested by her name but a silk kosode with abbreviated decorations of bamboo at the edges of the hem and sleeves. Her tiny arms are visible through the sheer fabric. The trailing ends of her obi, tied high above her waist, echo the curve of her body. The transitory nature of her profession is echoed by the banana-leaf design on the screen inside the room.

Artwork Details

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

Exhibition History

Title: Courtesan and Attendant with a Cage of Fireflies
Artist: Ippitsusai Bunchō (Japanese, active ca. 1765–1792)
Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
Date: ca. 1770
Culture: Japan
Medium: Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions: H. 12 1/8 in. (30.8 cm); W. 5 1/2 in. (14 cm)
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: Gift of Estate of Samuel Isham, 1914
Object Number: JP907
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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