Hour of the Cock (6pm), Servant from a Samurai Mansion
Woodblock Print
1798-1804 (Made)
1798-1804 (Made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
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.
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.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Titles |
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| Materials and techniques | Colour print from woodblocks |
| Brief description | Woodblock print by Kitagawa Utamaro (1753-1806) depicting the Hour of the Cock [6pm], Servants from a Samurai Mansion, from the series Customs of Beauties Around the Clock, Japanese, 1798-1799.; Pap, Japan, prints |
| Physical description | Colours printed on paper |
| Dimensions |
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| Styles | |
| Object history | Purchased from Arthur Morrison, accessioned in 1903. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. |
| Summary | 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. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.591-1903 |
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| Record created | March 25, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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