Ushi no Koku|青楼十二時 続 丑の刻|The Hour of the Ox (1 A.M.–3 A.M.)
ca. 1794
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
H. 14 5/8 in. (37.1 cm); W. 9 5/8 in. (24.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Estate of Samuel Isham, 1914
Accession Number
JP977
Tags
Art Historical Context
Kitagawa Utamaro’s *The Hour of the Ox* (ca. 1794) captures a quiet moment in the pleasure quarters of Edo-period Japan. Created as part the series *Seirō Jūni Toki Tsuzuki* (“The Twelve Hours of the Green Houses”), the print portrays a courtesan during the eerie 1–3 a.m. interval traditionally associated with supernatural encounters. Utamaro, celebrated for his sensitive depictions of women, transforms this nocturnal scene into an intimate glimpse of daily life within the Yoshiwara district. As a woodblock print in ink and color on paper, the work exemplifies ukiyo-e’s ability to reach wide ...
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...