Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paperexpand_more
Gift of Ruth Lathrop Sikes in memory of her brother Bruce Sikes, 1967expand_more P.13,964
Executed in the rare, long format (nagaban), this print depicts a prostitute and her attendant playing with a child who could be hers from a previous love affair. The poem reads:
I rub evening primrose flower
on the cloth of the man I love,
hoping the scent of the flower
will remind him of me
The name of the prostitute is inscribed on the print as “Masako from Mino Province,” which we can use to identify Yabe Masako, who died at age twenty-nine in 1773.
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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