Dozing Off, Year of the Rat: A Courtesan Drinking Water to Sober Up (Utata-ne no toshi--Yoizame no suisho)
Artist: Kikugawa Eizan (Japanese, 1787-1867)
Date: 1816
Dimensions:
Sheet: 14 11/16 × 9 3/4 in. (37.3 × 24.8 cm)
Medium: woodblock print
Place of Origin: Japan
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: Gift of an Anonymous Donor
Object number: 1921.179
Label Text:In this print, presumably one in a series of images of the five natural elements (fire, wood, earth, metal, and water), Kikugawa Eizan playfully illustrates the element of water with a beauty of the pleasure quarter awakening after a long night of drinking. Women of the pleasure quarter (the licensed brothel district of Edo, now Tokyo) were known as asobime—“women who play” or “party girls.”
While gently mocking her overindulgence, Eizan has successfully rendered the courtesan’s seductive qualities in her disheveled hair and loosely tied robes. The exposed nape of the neck and her bare feet—both considered highly erotic—add to her allure. A raised pillow to accommodate her elaborate hairstyle is shown near her feet.
While gently mocking her overindulgence, Eizan has successfully rendered the courtesan’s seductive qualities in her disheveled hair and loosely tied robes. The exposed nape of the neck and her bare feet—both considered highly erotic—add to her allure. A raised pillow to accommodate her elaborate hairstyle is shown near her feet.
Not on view