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Lot Essay
This painting portrays a young samurai and woman accompanied by a married woman with her teeth blackened in ohaguro style, strolling around the Mimeguri Embankment, a popular destination particularly during cherry-blossom viewing season.
Located on the east side of the Sumida River across the Asakusa district, Mimeguri Shrine worshiped the two deities of Sumidagawa Seven Gods of Good Fortune (Sumidagawa Shichifukujin), Ebisu and Daikoku. Originally located adjacent to Ushijima Shrine, Mimeguri Shrine was relocated slightly southward after being swept away by a flood and with the construction of embankments along the riverbank. As a result, from the perspective of the opposite bank, the torii gate appears to protrude only its head from the embankment, creating a unique sight.
Kunimasa was originally from Aizu in Iwashiro Province, initially pursued a career as a dye artisan upon arriving in Edo. However, due to his talent in painting and a strong interest in theater, he apprenticed under Utagawa Toyokuni to become an artist. Despite his untimely death at the age of thirty-eight, Kunimasa became renowned for his portraits of actors and paintings of beauties. Aoki Shinzaburo describes this painting as the “representative masterpiece of Kunisada’s painting” in the book Nikuhitsu ukiyoe shusei I.
The inscription on this painting, by the famous Kyoka-poet Oya no Urasumi (1734-1810), here styling himself Hagiya Urazumi, is thought to be a quoted verse from a love poem by Ariwara no Narihira, 'The eastern journey' from Ise monogatari.
Nanishi owaba / izakototohamu / miyakodori / wagaomou hito wa / ariya nashiyato
Located on the east side of the Sumida River across the Asakusa district, Mimeguri Shrine worshiped the two deities of Sumidagawa Seven Gods of Good Fortune (Sumidagawa Shichifukujin), Ebisu and Daikoku. Originally located adjacent to Ushijima Shrine, Mimeguri Shrine was relocated slightly southward after being swept away by a flood and with the construction of embankments along the riverbank. As a result, from the perspective of the opposite bank, the torii gate appears to protrude only its head from the embankment, creating a unique sight.
Kunimasa was originally from Aizu in Iwashiro Province, initially pursued a career as a dye artisan upon arriving in Edo. However, due to his talent in painting and a strong interest in theater, he apprenticed under Utagawa Toyokuni to become an artist. Despite his untimely death at the age of thirty-eight, Kunimasa became renowned for his portraits of actors and paintings of beauties. Aoki Shinzaburo describes this painting as the “representative masterpiece of Kunisada’s painting” in the book Nikuhitsu ukiyoe shusei I.
The inscription on this painting, by the famous Kyoka-poet Oya no Urasumi (1734-1810), here styling himself Hagiya Urazumi, is thought to be a quoted verse from a love poem by Ariwara no Narihira, 'The eastern journey' from Ise monogatari.
Nanishi owaba / izakototohamu / miyakodori / wagaomou hito wa / ariya nashiyato