Turning a Shamisen (Shamisen no nejime), from the series "Chanting to Shamisen by Young Women of Today (Tosei musume joruri)"
c. 1804/06
Medium
Color woodblock print; oban
Dimensions
35.9 × 24.4 cm (14 3/16 × 9 5/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
60315
Art Historical Context
In the enchanting world of ukiyo-e, or "pictures of the floating world,"agawa Utamaro (3–1806) captures the grace of everyday life in Edo-period Japan. This color woodblock print, *Turning a Shamisen (amisen no nejime)* the series *Chanting Shamisen by Young Women Today (Toseiume joruri)*, dates to around 1804–06. It depicts a poised young woman delicately tuning her shamisen—a three-stringed central to traditional Japanese music and theater—highlighting Utamaro's mastery of *bijin-ga*, intimate portraits of beautiful women. Printed in the large *oban* format (35.9 × 24.4 cm), this work exemp...
About the Artist
Kitagawa Utamaro · 1753–1806
Kitagawa Utamaro (c. 1753-1806) was one of the most celebrated masters of ukiyo-e woodblock printing, revolutionizing the art of bijin-ga (pictures of beautiful women) during Japan's Edo period. Born Kitagawa Ichitaro, his early life remains shrouded in mystery, with conflicting accounts placing his birth in Kyoto, Osaka, Yoshiwara in Edo (modern Tokyo), or Kawagoe in Musashi Province. Under the t...