Kunisada 国貞: Beauties Return from a Temple Excursion at Takanawa
Artist: Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865)
Title: Spring View In Takanawa （Takanawa naka haru-no -kei) 高輪中春の景
Date: ca. 1845
Two beauties are greeted at the entrance to a teahouse (and inn?) by the sea after spending the day visiting a temple on its “opening” (kaichô) day. They wear stylish traveling clothes and walking sandals, and are returning with so many souvenirs that they’ve tied them to a stick that they carry between them. These two women “kaichô” visitors are arriving at the tea house by Takanawa in Shinagawa by the sea. They seemed to have had a good journey, but now need a rest. The woman on the right carries a kiseru pipe and has her hair covered with a cloth; she seems to be almost pulled onward by her friend in the center. The woman in the center seems to be younger, judging from her kimono. They carry their staff and souvenirs on a stick. They both have tied extra fasteners to their sandals to make them more distance-worthy.
On the left a woman is waving welcome to them, the boy holding her hand looking up her and holding up a tiny flag of “kaichô”. As she seems to have similarly stylish attire, she is probably one of their friends, rather than a teahouse employee. Behind them stand two notice boards next to the bamboo fence, which state the names of groups for which reservations were made. A red lantern with “kaichô” 開帳 also hangs above. This inn must especially serve those who travel to this event.
The blue sea and pink sunset sky create a stunning backdrop, as do the large wheels that are seen at right, perhaps for an oxcart. At this time Shinagawa would have been on the shores of Edo Bay.
“Kaichô” 開帳, meaning ‘opening the curtain’, is a Buddhistic event, when a temple opens the door to the inner portions where holy statues are enshrined, which are for most of the year not open to the public. This door is opened for the public for a limited time of the year, in this case in spring. For Edo people this event became a pleasurable occasion to visit and enjoy an excursion to a temple.
The Takanawa Temple Senkakuji is on the hill where 47 Loyal Retainers were first gathered before their famous day and is where their gravesites are located. Kunisada designed a triptych, “Tôto Takanawa Sengaku-ji Kaichô Gunshû no zu” (1847-52) from Ebisu-ya Shôshichi, showing the kabuki actors in Chushingura as visitors on a similar background. Takanawa Senkaku-ji was one of the most visited “kaichô” sites.
Condition: Excellent impression, color and condition. Rightmost sheet has an area verso at bottom where a layer of paper has detached.
Dimensions: ôban triptych (36.3 x 25 cm each sheet)
Publisher: Ezakiya 江崎屋 Literature: No other examples have been found.
Signature: Kunisada, changed to Toyokuni the Second designed. (Kunisada aratame ni-daime Toyokuni国貞改二代目豊国画) on all sheets. Kunisada took the name of Toyokuni in the first month of 1844.
SKU: KUS590
