Ukiyo-e Educational Catalog · Record 55477

The hour of the cock, Servants from a Samurai mansion

Artist / 作者
Kitagawa Utamaro喜多川歌麿
Date / 年代
1798-1804
Medium / 技法
浮世絵 / Ukiyo-e / Edo / vam
Digital record / 画像記録
1345 × 2000 px
Source collection / 所蔵元
Victoria and Albert Museum
Published by / 公開者
森川ミドリ
Rights / 権利
Commercial license required
Attribution / 表記
Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Catalog note / 解説

The umbrella and folding fan held aloft by the lovers in this print are not enough to shield their intimate farewell from our trespassing gaze. It is 6pm and the female servant (right) must hurry back to the samurai mansion where she works. This print belongs to a genre known as 'bijinga' - 'pictures of beautiful people'. Initially encompassing images of both men and women, this genre became increasingly associated with images of beautiful women of all classes. Other beauties in Utamaro's twelve-sheet series include a married woman and a shrine maiden. Materials: Colour print from woodblocks

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