Title : Enjoying the Evening Cool from the Upper Story at Ryögoku

Artist : Torii Kiyonaga

Date : 1787

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Source : Honolulu Museum of Art
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Description : Several women make preparations for thee moon-viewing banquet on the second floor of a restaurant located near Ryögoku Bridge. The moon rises in the sky to the east as the teahouse and river boats on the opposite bank are bustling with crowds enjoying the clear moonlit night. (Tadashi Kobayashi, Edo Beauties in Ukiyo-e, 1994) * * * * * * * * * * * * * Kiyonaga was the unrivaled master of feminine portraits during 1780s. He expanded the standard size of the single-sheet brocade print, and also utilized diptychs and triptychs comprising two or three sheets arranged horizontally and integrated thematically into a single composition, as observed here. Against the panoramic riverscape, he depicts groups of tall, willowy female customers and entertainers (geisha) with shamisen (Japanese musical instruments) on the right, suggesting an elegant, statuesque concept of beauty. The seated woman in black in the center on a red carpet must be the main guest. The wide long sash (obi) was popular at this time. The translucent black kimono of the standing geisha on the right, under which the design of the under garment is seen, looks cool and light. In this print, it is early evening at a restaurant located near the Ryögoku Bridge. Several women are preparing for a moon-viewing banquet. All seem relaxed, and there are no male customers. The woman in the pink kimono is hanging a cage in the window. It likely holds fireflies, a symbol of early summer. All of the motifs depicted here evoke the elegance of summer nights in Edo. (from "VOGUE in Japan: Edo Fashion through Japanese prints" exhibition 07/30/08-)

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