Utagawa Kunisada II
(Japanese, 1823–1880)
Saruwaka tsuki no yubae (Evening splendor under the moon at the Saruwaka theater district)
Object Details
Artist
Utagawa Kunisada II
Date
1864
Medium
Color woodblock print in triptych format
Dimensions
Image: 9 1/2 x 13 3/4 inches (24.1 x 34.9 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Carol H. Cline, Class of 1937
Object
Number
84.013.001
The Saruwaka theater district in Edo (modern Tokyo) consisted of a single long street with Kabuki th(…)
The Saruwaka theater district in Edo (modern Tokyo) consisted of a single long street with Kabuki theaters on one side and teahouses on the other. In this triptych, each print features a prominent entertainer. The right and left prints depict elaborately dressed geisha accompanied by their attendants, and in the center is a Kabuki actor who they are clearly admiring. The Kabuki theaters, shown at right, can be identified by the boxed turrets on the roofs. Under the silvery light of the full moon, the appearance of these celebrities would be splendid indeed. (“Moon,” curated by Ellen Avril and presented at the Johnson Museum August 25, 2018-January 13, 2019)
