Umegae and Genta in the Bell of Hell Scene from Jо̄ruri Drama Hiragana Seisuiki, New Edition, Part I
Woodblock Print
ca.1830-35 (published)
ca.1830-35 (published)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
Woodblock prints such as this were produced in large numbers in 18th- and 19th-century Japan. This print was published in the 1830s, by which time the techniques of full-colour printing had been perfected. Prints such as this are sometimes called ukiyo-e, which means 'pictures of the floating world'. This world was one of transient delights and changing fashions centred on the licensed pleasure districts and popular theatres found in the major cities of Japan.
Subject Depicted
Joruri is a type of dramatic narrative chanting commonly associated with the bunraku puppet theatre. It flourished during the Edo period (1615-1868). Here, a beautiful woman is depicted against the backdrop of a joruri text. Pictures of beautiful women served as guides to and souvenirs of the faces and changing hair- and dress-styles of the women who worked in the pleasure quarters of Edo (present-day Tokyo).
Materials and Making
The production of Japanese woodblock prints was a group activity orchestrated by a specialist publisher, in this case Iseya Rihei. He commissioned the artist, Utagawa Kunisada, to produce a sketch. A detailed drawing based on this sketch was given to a block cutter, who created one block for the black outline of the image and further blocks for each of the colours to be used. These were passed to a printer. Pigments applied to the blocks were printed on to sheets of paper by rubbing from behind with a flat round disc known as a baren.
Woodblock prints such as this were produced in large numbers in 18th- and 19th-century Japan. This print was published in the 1830s, by which time the techniques of full-colour printing had been perfected. Prints such as this are sometimes called ukiyo-e, which means 'pictures of the floating world'. This world was one of transient delights and changing fashions centred on the licensed pleasure districts and popular theatres found in the major cities of Japan.
Subject Depicted
Joruri is a type of dramatic narrative chanting commonly associated with the bunraku puppet theatre. It flourished during the Edo period (1615-1868). Here, a beautiful woman is depicted against the backdrop of a joruri text. Pictures of beautiful women served as guides to and souvenirs of the faces and changing hair- and dress-styles of the women who worked in the pleasure quarters of Edo (present-day Tokyo).
Materials and Making
The production of Japanese woodblock prints was a group activity orchestrated by a specialist publisher, in this case Iseya Rihei. He commissioned the artist, Utagawa Kunisada, to produce a sketch. A detailed drawing based on this sketch was given to a block cutter, who created one block for the black outline of the image and further blocks for each of the colours to be used. These were passed to a printer. Pigments applied to the blocks were printed on to sheets of paper by rubbing from behind with a flat round disc known as a baren.
Object details
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| Materials and techniques | Colour woodblock printing on paper |
| Brief description | Pap, Japan, prints Umegae and Genta in the Bell of Hell Scene from Jо̄ruri Drama Hiragana Seisuiki, New Edition, Part I, from an untitled series of jо̄ruri textbooks and beauties, by Utagawa Kunisada (1786–1865), Edo (Tokyo), early 1830s |
| Physical description | Woodblock print, in ink and colour |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Gallery label | Beni is a fugitive dye that fades quickly and often represents passionate but fleeting love. In this print, the courtesan Umegae is suitably dressed in a scarlet kimono. She was embroiled in a tempestuous affair with her lover, Genta, which was plagued by money troubles and death threats. Umegae became a courtesan to support Genta, and is shown here contemplating striking a magic bell that offers wealth in exchange for eternity in hell.
(31/5/2022) |
| Object history | Purchased from S. M. Franck & Co., accessioned in 1886. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | Object Type Woodblock prints such as this were produced in large numbers in 18th- and 19th-century Japan. This print was published in the 1830s, by which time the techniques of full-colour printing had been perfected. Prints such as this are sometimes called ukiyo-e, which means 'pictures of the floating world'. This world was one of transient delights and changing fashions centred on the licensed pleasure districts and popular theatres found in the major cities of Japan. Subject Depicted Joruri is a type of dramatic narrative chanting commonly associated with the bunraku puppet theatre. It flourished during the Edo period (1615-1868). Here, a beautiful woman is depicted against the backdrop of a joruri text. Pictures of beautiful women served as guides to and souvenirs of the faces and changing hair- and dress-styles of the women who worked in the pleasure quarters of Edo (present-day Tokyo). Materials and Making The production of Japanese woodblock prints was a group activity orchestrated by a specialist publisher, in this case Iseya Rihei. He commissioned the artist, Utagawa Kunisada, to produce a sketch. A detailed drawing based on this sketch was given to a block cutter, who created one block for the black outline of the image and further blocks for each of the colours to be used. These were passed to a printer. Pigments applied to the blocks were printed on to sheets of paper by rubbing from behind with a flat round disc known as a baren. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.8612-1886 |
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| Record created | March 7, 2006 |
| Record URL |
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