The Courtesan Emu of the Matsuya Brothel as a Cormorant Fisherwoman (Ukai Matsuya Emu), from the series “A Costume Parade in the Shimanouchi District” (Shimanouchi nerimono)

1836

Not on view

Emu, a courtesan of the Matsuya brothel, is shown cross-dressed as a cormorant fisherman for a costume parade held in the Shimanouchi district of Osaka. Standing above a pair of cormorants, she holds the type of a torch that would have been used at night to attract fish, which would then be temporarily caught by the birds. The long necks of the cormorants were tied so that could not fully swallow the fish they caught, allowing the fishermen to retrieve the catch. The headgear, costume, and straw apron (koshi mino) are based on a theatrical adaptation of an actual fisherman’s outfit, as used for the Noh play Cormorant Fisherman (Ukai), which is still performed to this day.

Artwork Details

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「嶋ノ内ねり物　鵜飼　まつ屋　ゑむ」 (Shimanouchi nerimono)
Title: The Courtesan Emu of the Matsuya Brothel as a Cormorant Fisherwoman (Ukai Matsuya Emu), from the series “A Costume Parade in the Shimanouchi District” (Shimanouchi nerimono)
Artist: Shunbaisai Hokuei 春梅斎北英 (Japanese, active 1829–1837, died 1837)
Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
Date: 1836
Culture: Japan
Medium: Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper; vertical ōban
Dimensions: Image: 14 7/8 × 10 1/4 in. (37.8 × 26 cm)
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: Gift of JoAnn Edinburg Pinkowitz and Richard Pinkowitz, 2020
Object Number: 2020.395
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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By Shunbaisai Hokuei 春梅斎北英

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Album of Twenty Half-Length Portraits of Actors in Roles, Shunbaisai Hokuei 春梅斎北英 Japanese, Folding album; ink and color on paper, Japan — Album of Twenty Half-Length Portraits of Actors in Roles
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Kabuki Actor Arashi Rikan II as Akogi Heiji, from the print series Tōsei keshōkagami (Makeup Mirrors of Our Time), Shunbaisai Hokuei 春梅斎北英 Japanese, Woodblock print; ink and color on paper, Japan — Kabuki Actor Arashi Rikan II as Akogi Heiji, from the print series Tōsei keshōkagami (Makeup Mirrors of Our Time)
Shunbaisai Hokuei 春梅斎北英
1835

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