Kayoi Komachi, from the series "Seven Episodes of the Poet Komachi"
Utagawa Toyokuni I Japanese
Not on view
This print is one of the most exquisite ukiyo-e prints featuring women. The subject matter of "Kayoi Komachi," inscribed in the upper right corner, is drawn from a tragic Noh play. The poet Ono no Komachi promises to meet her ardent suitor Fukakusa Shōjō if he agrees to spend a hundred nights on the stepstool of an oxcart. After ninety-nine nights, he dies.
This print is a parody of the popular story. A courtesan is on her way home from visiting her favorite customer, knowing that their meetings will eventually end. Both Fukakusa Shōjō, in the Noh play, and the courtesan in this print share a profound sense of promise unfulfilled. Here, the mistiness of the night (achieved by means of an ink spray) and the woman's disheveled hair are suggestive of their romantic lingering.
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