The Actor Ichimura Takenojo VIII in the Role of a Puppeteer, showing Puppets to a Courtesan

ca. 1715

Not on view

The scene is probably taken from a play for the Kabuki actor Ichimura Takenojo VII is identified by the crest on his robe. And yet, the sight of a courtesan stopping in the streets of the Yoshiwara in Edo to enjoy the entertainment of an itinerant puppeteer must have been common enough. The courtesan with her obi tied in the front wears a magnigicent long-sleeved robe decorated with plum blossoms, while her two young maids (kamuro) both appear in kimono of striped pattern. In the background are the curtained doorways of two brothels, the Matsuya and the Fujiya.

Artwork Details

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References

Kairaishi
Title: The Actor Ichimura Takenojo VIII in the Role of a Puppeteer, showing Puppets to a Courtesan
Artist: Torii Kiyomasu I (Japanese, active 1696–1716)
Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
Date: ca. 1715
Culture: Japan
Medium: Monochrome woodblock print; ink on paper
Dimensions: 11 x 16 in. (27.9 x 40.6 cm)
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: Harris Brisbane Dick Fund and Rogers Fund, 1914
Object Number: JP3072
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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