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

Torii Kiyomasu I

ca. 1715 · Monochrome woodblock print; ink on paper · Asian Art

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.

Artist

Torii Kiyomasu I

Date

ca. 1715

Medium

Monochrome woodblock print; ink on paper

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Harris Brisbane Dick Fund and Rogers Fund, 1914