The Meeting at Yahagi: The Beginnings of the Jorurijunidan Story thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

The Meeting at Yahagi: The Beginnings of the Jorurijunidan Story

Woodblock Print
1849-1852 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This uchiwa-e (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige is from a series illustrating episodes in the life of Ushiwakamaru, the youthful Minamoto no Yoshitsune (1159-89), one of Japan's best known tragic heroes. It shows him being met by the servant of Princess Joruri, the daughter of the wealthy landlord of Yahagi in Mikawa Province (modern Aichi Prefecture). He has attracted her attention by playing the flute he carries in his sash. The love affair that ensued was the subject of a medieval tale that survived into the Edo period (1615-1886) under a variety of appellations, including the Jorurijunidan of the title of this design.
The term joruri, which refers to the type of narrative chanting that developed in conjunction with the Bunraku puppet theatre, is said to derive from the title of this story, which was originally recited by minstrels to the accompaniment of a shamisen (a three-stringed, fretless lute).


Object details

Categories
Object type
Titles
  • The Meeting at Yahagi: The Beginnings of the Jorurijunidan Story (assigned by artist)
  • Scenes from the Life of Ushiwakamaru (series title)
Materials and techniques
Colour print from woodblocks
Brief description
Woodblock print, Utagawa Hiroshige I; 'The Meeting at Yahagi: The Beginnings of the Jorurijunidan Story', from the series 'Scenes from the Life of Ushiwakamaru'; fan print, Japanese, 1849-1852
Physical description
Fan print, aiban size. Artist signature: Hiroshige ga. Publisher mark: Ibaya Senzaburo. Censor seals: Magome and Hama.
Dimensions
  • Approx. height: 220mm
  • Approx. width: 290mm
Style
Object history
Purchased from J. S. Happer, accessioned in 1911. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project.
Summary
This uchiwa-e (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige is from a series illustrating episodes in the life of Ushiwakamaru, the youthful Minamoto no Yoshitsune (1159-89), one of Japan's best known tragic heroes. It shows him being met by the servant of Princess Joruri, the daughter of the wealthy landlord of Yahagi in Mikawa Province (modern Aichi Prefecture). He has attracted her attention by playing the flute he carries in his sash. The love affair that ensued was the subject of a medieval tale that survived into the Edo period (1615-1886) under a variety of appellations, including the Jorurijunidan of the title of this design.
The term joruri, which refers to the type of narrative chanting that developed in conjunction with the Bunraku puppet theatre, is said to derive from the title of this story, which was originally recited by minstrels to the accompaniment of a shamisen (a three-stringed, fretless lute).
Collection
Accession number
E.540-1911

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Record createdDecember 17, 2003
Record URL
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