Puppeteers - A Set of Three (Ayatsuri sanpukutsui)
c. 1752
Medium
Color woodblock print; uncut hosoban triptych, benizuri-e
Dimensions
29.9 × 43.2 cm (11 3/4 × 17 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
19772
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of18th-century Japan with *Puppeteers - A Set of Three (Ayuri sanpukutsui)* by Ishikawa Toyon, created around 1752. Toyonobu, a prominentkiyo-e artist during the Edo period, captured the "floating world" of urban pleasures, including theater and everyday spectacles. This uncut hosoban triptych—three narrow prints still joined as one sheet—depicts skilled puppeteers manipulating marionettes, evoking the dramatic flair of bunraku puppet theater, a beloved entertainment form blending music, narration, and intricate string work. Printed in the benizuri-e style, or "ros...
About the Artist
Ishikawa Toyonobu · 1711–1785
Japanese, 1711–1785