painting;
hanging scroll;
triptych
- Museum number
- 1913,0501,0.311
- Description
-
Painting, hanging scroll, left of triptych. Procession of courtesan of Ogiya house, with apprentice (shinzo) and manservant carrying lantern. Ink and colour on paper. Signed, sealed, marked and inscribed.
[Jap.Ptg.1492] -
[Jap.Ptg.1492, image (a)] -
[Jap.Ptg.1492, image (b)] -
[Jap.Ptg.1492, image (c)] -
[Jap.Ptg.1492, image (T)] -
[Jap.Ptg.1492, image (Ta)] -
[Jap.Ptg.1492, image (U1)] -
[Jap.Ptg.1492, image (U2)] -
[Jap.Ptg.1492, image (V)] -
- Production date
- 1804-1818
- Dimensions
-
Height: 102 centimetres (c.)
-
Width: 27.70 centimetres (c.)
- $Inscriptions
-
-
-
-
- Curator's comments
-
In set with 1913,0501,0.309
In set with 1913,0501,0.310
-
Clark 1992
Even after the abolition of the two highest ranks of courtesan in the mid-eighteenth century, it was still the custom for women of the 'sancha' and 'yobidashi' grades to process out from the houses of pleasure to greet wealthy customers in the teahouses that lined Nakanocho, the main street of Yoshiwara. Here the grand retinue has been spread over a triptych of hanging scrolls - a 'shinzo' apprentice courtesan and manservant carrying a lantern on the left, the high-ranking courtesan shielded by an umbrella in the centre, and a lesser courtesan and maid on the right. The loose manner of painting in fluid ink outlines and rapid washes of colour is matched by relatively informal poses, such as the leading 'shinzo' shown from behind, and a touch of humour in the way in which the courtesan's face is teasingly hidden from view, reminding us, by contrast, just how poised and formal most Ukiyo-e paintings are.
The lantern carried by the leading manservant seems to bear the triple folding-fan crest of the prestigious Ogiya house, together with the written character 'hana', suggesting that the courtesan in the kimono with a design of blooming irises in pools is probably Hanaogi or Hanabito of that house. The hairstyles of the women are characteristic of the Bunka era (1804-18).
Literature:
'(Hizo) Ukiyo-e taikan' ('Ukiyo-e Masterpieces in European Collections'), ed. Narazaki Muneshige. Vol. 1, Tokyo, Kodansha, 1987, BW nos 31-3.
-
Asahi 1996
すでに述べたように（No.44解説参照）、18世紀半ばに遊女の2つの最高位、太夫と格子が廃止されたが、それ以後も、呼出と付廻は特に富裕な客の場合に、遊女屋から客の待つ仲ノ町の茶屋まで花魁道中することがあった。ここでは、その長い行列が三幅対に展開されている。向かって左幅では見習い遊女である新造と堤燈持ちの男衆が、中幅では傘を差し掛けられた高位の遊女が、また右幅では番頭新造と遣手が描かれる。
濃墨による自在な輪郭線や速筆による彩色は、後ろ向きの新造をはじめとする登場人物の寛いだ姿勢と釣り合っている。遊女の顔が隠されるなど一種のおかしみもあり、一般の肉筆美人画がいかに静的で格式ばっているかを改めて感じさせる。
先頭の男衆が持つ堤燈には、著名な妓楼扇屋の畳み扇紋と「花」の字が入っており、流水に菖蒲文の打掛を着た遊女が扇屋の「花扇」あるいは「花人」であることを暗示している。遊女の髪形は文化年間に特徴的なもの。
（竹内美砂子（名古屋市博物館））
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1913
- Acquisition notes
- The collection of Japanese and Chinese paintings belonging to Arthur Morrison was purchased by Sir William Gwynne-Evans, who presented it to the British Museum in 1913.
- Department
- Asia
- Registration number
- 1913,0501,0.311
- Additional IDs
-
Asia painting number: Jap.Ptg.1492 (Japanese Painting Number)
