Outdoor Amusements at the Kankanro Teahouse in Yoshiwara
c. 1794
Medium
Color woodblock print; left sheet of oban triptych
Dimensions
36.9 × 24.3 cm (14 9/16 × 9 5/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
149120
Art Historical Context
Torii Kiyonaga's *Outdoor Amusements at Kankanro Teahouse in Yoshiwara* (c. 1794) captures the lively spirit of Edo-period Japan in this vibrant color woodblock print, the sheet of a grand oban triptych. Set in Yoshiwara, Tokyo's renowned pleasure district, the scene depicts elegant courtesans, patrons, and entertainers enjoying outdoor festivities at the Kankanro Teahouse. Kiyonaga, a leading figure in the ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world") tradition from the Torii school, masterfully portrays the transient joys of urban life—fashion, flirtation, and leisure—reflecting the bustling cu...
About the Artist
Torii Kiyonaga · 1752–1815
Torii Kiyonaga, born Sekiguchi Shinsuke in 1752 in Uraga, Sagami Province, was the son of an Edo bookseller who owned tenements near a bustling fish market. At age 14 in 1765, he began his apprenticeship under Torii Kiyomitsu, the third-generation head of the prestigious Torii school of ukiyo-e, renowned for kabuki theater illustrations and signage. Adopted into the Torii family, Kiyonaga succeede...