The Auspicious Noh Dance "Okina"

The three dancers shown in this triptych are performers in the Nō dance-drama called Okina, sometimes also known as Shiki sanba.[1] Okina, which means "old man," is performed before the formal program begins. A dance without specific narrative content, it is reserved for special occasions, such as New Year's festivities, prayers for the peace and prosperity of the nation, and ceremonies to purify the site of a Shinto shrine.

Okina, the protagonist, is the figure shown in the center scroll, wearing the white mask of an old man. His light brown overblouse, or kariginu, is decorated with a tortoiseshell pattern, symbol of longevity and happiness. The cranes and tortoises that adorn the costumes of the other two dancers are also emblems of longevity. The black mask and the bells held by the dancer on the right scroll identify him as Sambasō, "the third old man." The figure without a mask on the left scroll is a young man, though his name is Senzai, meaning "a thousand years of age"; his role is that of companion to Okina. The strong ink outlines that define the costumes, with their neatly organized folds, are reminiscent of those used in printmaking, and indeed Toriyama Sekien (1712–1788), who painted these scrolls, made many woodblock prints as book illustrations.

As a young man, Sekien studied painting with Kano Shūshin (1660–1728) and Kano Gyokuen (1683–1743). Like many artists of the time, he was interested in Chinese realism of the Ming and Qing dynasties—a manner that is also reflected in the work of contemporary nanga artists (see cat. nos. 153–168). Sekien's training in the Kano school greatly enriched the art of printmaking, and his most significant contribution perhaps lies in his role as the teacher of such promising young artists as Kitagawa Utamaro (1753–1806) and Eishōsai Chōki (fl. late 18th century).
[Miyeko Murase 2000, Bridge of Dreams]

[1] Sanari Kentarō 1930, vol. 1, pp. 1–12.

Signature: Gyonen nanajussai Sekien ga

Marking: Seals: Sekiso Tsukioka no In

Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation , New York (until 2015; donated to MMA)

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Japanese Art: Selections from the Mary and Jackson Burke Collection," November 7, 1975–January 4, 1976.

Seattle Art Museum. "Japanese Art: Selections from the Mary and Jackson Burke Collection," March 10–May 1, 1977.

Minneapolis Institute of Arts. "Japanese Art: Selections from the Mary and Jackson Burke Collection," June 1–July 17, 1977.

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Masterpieces of Japanese Art from The Mary Griggs Burke Collection," March 30–June 25, 2000.

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Celebrating the Arts of Japan: The Mary Griggs Burke Collection," October 20, 2015–May 14, 2017.

Murase, Miyeko, Il Kim, Shi-yee Liu, Gratia Williams Nakahashi, Stephanie Wada, Soyoung Lee, and David Sensabaugh. Art Through a Lifetime: The Mary Griggs Burke Collection. Vol. 1, Japanese Paintings, Printed Works, Calligraphy. [New York]: Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation, [2013], p. 226, cat. no. 270a–c.