Ladies-in-Waiting with Male Entertainers in Female Attire
Woodblock Print
ca. 1825 (made)
ca. 1825 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The location in this triptych by Utagawa Toyokuni (1769-1825) is the upper floor of a brothel for boy prostitutes, where a party of three ladies-in-waiting from a samurai household have summoned a group of male entertainers to keep them company for the evening. The woman on the far right, picking her teeth and listening to the shamisen, seems to be the most senior of the ladies-in-waiting. Her companions are the woman in the centre wearing the colourful kimono decorated with plum blossoms and flowing water, and the woman on the far left leaning over the banister. The shamisen player and the two standing figures, all three of whom are wearing long-sleeved kimono, are boy prostitutes. The woman on the stairs carrying a 'sake' pourer and the woman kneeling in the centre are servants.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Ladies-in-Waiting with Male Entertainers in Female Attire (popular title) |
| Materials and techniques | Colour woodblock print |
| Brief description | Japanese print, triptych by Utagawa Toyokuni: 'Ladies-in-Waiting with Male Entertainers in Female Attire', ca. 1825 |
| Physical description | The scene shows the upper floor of the women's quarters, where a lady-in-waiting has summoned a male entertainer as her companion for the evening. The woman on the right, calmly picking her teeth and listening to the shamisen, seems in age and rank to be the most senior of the three ladies-in-waiting present. The other ladies-in-waiting are the woman in the centre panel wearing a colourful kimono sitting by the serving girl, and the woman in the left-hand panel lounging in a slovenly way and looking down the corridor,. The shamisen player and the two standing figures are male entertainers. Three oban size sheets. Signature: Toyokuni ga. Publisher: Yamamotoya Heikichi. Censorship seal: kiwame |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Gallery label | Female attendants in a samurai household have summoned a group of men to entertain them for the evening. The two standing figures and the person playing the shamisen (stringed musical instrument) are young male prostitutes. All three have elaborate hairstyles and are wearing kimono in the style of women. Gender fluidity and sexual ambiguity were distinctive features of Edo-period culture and fashion.
(29/02/2020) |
| 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. |
| Summary | The location in this triptych by Utagawa Toyokuni (1769-1825) is the upper floor of a brothel for boy prostitutes, where a party of three ladies-in-waiting from a samurai household have summoned a group of male entertainers to keep them company for the evening. The woman on the far right, picking her teeth and listening to the shamisen, seems to be the most senior of the ladies-in-waiting. Her companions are the woman in the centre wearing the colourful kimono decorated with plum blossoms and flowing water, and the woman on the far left leaning over the banister. The shamisen player and the two standing figures, all three of whom are wearing long-sleeved kimono, are boy prostitutes. The woman on the stairs carrying a 'sake' pourer and the woman kneeling in the centre are servants. |
| Bibliographic reference | Jackson, Anna (editor), Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk, London: V&A Publications, 2020
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.12642-1886 |
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| Record created | December 8, 2002 |
| Record URL |
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