Itinerant female musician, from the triptych "Series of Three (Sanbantsuzuki)"
c. 1830
Medium
Color woodblock print; one sheet of shikishiban triptych, surimono
Dimensions
20.3 × 17.1 cm (8 × 6 3/4 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
23552
Art Historical Context
Behold the enchanting *Itinerant Female Mus*, one sheet from Katsushika Taito II triptych *Series of Three (Sanbantsuki)*, crafted around 1830. Taito II, a talented pupil of the legendary ukiyo-e master Hai, captures the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan through this intimate portrayal of a wandering female performer. Her poised figure, likely mid-melody on a shamisen, evokes the transient beauty of everyday life—ukiyo, or the "floating world"—a central theme in Japanese woodblock prints of the time. Printed as a *surimono* in the compact *shikishiban* format (20.3 × 17.1 cm), this luxurious ...