Kunisada: Fan Print of Beauty with Insect Cage 団扇絵 (Sold)

Artist: Utagawa Kunisada
Title: Fan Print (Uchiwa-e) of Beauty with Insect Cage 団扇絵
Date: 1843-47

Light Breeze, from Five Trends of Japanese Poetry. We see a beauty on a summer evening holding an insect cage. Perhaps she will be catching fireflies; we may even see a rather large one perched on one of the grasses at left, which is shown along with some bellflowers and what looks like yellow yarrow flowers. The beauty wears a kimono with the pattern of sakura blossoms and a flowing stream, which has been printed using a softly oxidized lead grey pigment for the background color. The cherry blossom motif would have been worn by a woman in summer for leisure activities. There is a separate, empty garment behind her in black, so perhaps a male companion has just slipped off his haori jacket and that is why the woman’s expression looks so inviting. This is an uchiwa-e, or untrimmed fan print. Very scarce.

SKU: KUS452