白鳥|Swans

Kaburagi Kiyokata

1906 · Woodblock print; ink and color on paper · Asian Art

This is a frontispiece illustration (kuchi-e) for the story Katahadori (The Single-Winged Bird) by Nishimura Suimu, which was published in a literary magazine issued by the Bungei Kurabu (The Literary Arts Club) on May 1, 1906. Kiyokata depicts the heroine, twenty-year-old Ineko, wearing yellow contemporary Western-style dress and jewelry. Beautiful and wealthy, she is secretly in love with the poor student, Ono, who works for her parents in exchange for room and board.

Artist

Kaburagi Kiyokata

Date

1906

Medium

Woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

GIft of Lincoln Kirstein, 1959