The Auspicious Noh Dance "Okina"
Three dancers perform movements from the ritualized dance called Okina, literally, “Old Man,” or Sanbasō. Performed before the formal program of Noh plays begins, it is a dance without narrative content that is reserved for special occasions such as New Year’s festivities, prayers for prosperity of the nation, and ceremonies to purify the site of a Shinto shrine.
On the right is the protagonist Okina, wearing the white mask of an old man and donning an over-robe (kariginu) decorated with a tortoiseshell pattern, a symbol of longevity. The cranes and tortoises that adorn the costumes of the two other dancers are also emblems of longevity. The black mask and the bells held by the dancer on the center scroll identify him as Sanbasō, “the third old man.” On the left is Okina’s young male companion, Senzai, meaning “a thousand years of age.”
The artist Toriyama Sekien was trained in the Kano school, but he also created designs for woodblock prints and book illustrations and was the teacher of the celebrated ukiyo-e artist Kitagawa Utamaro (1753–1806).
On the right is the protagonist Okina, wearing the white mask of an old man and donning an over-robe (kariginu) decorated with a tortoiseshell pattern, a symbol of longevity. The cranes and tortoises that adorn the costumes of the two other dancers are also emblems of longevity. The black mask and the bells held by the dancer on the center scroll identify him as Sanbasō, “the third old man.” On the left is Okina’s young male companion, Senzai, meaning “a thousand years of age.”
The artist Toriyama Sekien was trained in the Kano school, but he also created designs for woodblock prints and book illustrations and was the teacher of the celebrated ukiyo-e artist Kitagawa Utamaro (1753–1806).
Artwork Details
- 鳥山石燕筆 「翁」図
- Title: The Auspicious Noh Dance "Okina"
- Artist: Toriyama Sekien (Japanese, 1712–1788)
- Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
- Date: ca. 1790–95
- Culture: Japan
- Medium: Triptych of hanging scrolls; ink, color, and gold on paper
- Dimensions: Image (a): 34 5/16 × 10 3/4 in. (87.2 × 27.3 cm)
Overall with mounting (a): 67 5/16 × 15 in. (171 × 38.1 cm)
Overall with knobs (a): 67 5/16 × 16 3/4 in. (171 × 42.5 cm)
Image (b): 34 1/2 × 10 15/16 in. (87.6 × 27.8 cm)
Overall with mounting (b): 67 1/16 × 15 1/16 in. (170.3 × 38.3 cm)
Overall with knobs (b): 67 1/16 × 16 5/8 in. (170.3 × 42.2 cm)
Image (c): 34 1/2 × 10 11/16 in. (87.6 × 27.2 cm)
Overall with mounting (c): 67 5/16 × 15 in. (171 × 38.1 cm)
Overall with knobs (c): 67 5/16 × 16 5/8 in. (171 × 42.3 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation, 2015
- Object Number: 2015.300.135a–c
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Toriyama Sekien
ca. 1775
Kano Tan'yū
mid-17th century
Japan
late 17th century
Itō Jakuchū
1755
Kaihō Yūsetsu
mid-17th century
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.