「しん町砂もち　まつ清　よつ」|Yotsu of the Matsukiyo Brothel Performing as a Shirabyōshi, from the series Sacred Dances in Shinmachi

Gochōtei Sadahiro 五蝶亭貞広

1841 · Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper; vertical chūban · Asian Art

Gochōtei (or Utagawa Sadahiro I) studied with Utagawa Kunisada in Edo, though by around 1830 was working in Osaka. Though he specialized in Kabuki prints, here he has created an image of a Shinmachi courtesan who is dressed in the costume of a shirabyōshi, female performers who dressed in male courtier’s costume. The title suggests that it was meant to parody a sacred dance performed at the dedication of a Shinto shrine.

Artist

Gochōtei Sadahiro 五蝶亭貞広

Date

1841

Medium

Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper; vertical chūban

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, in honor of James C. Y. Watt, 2011