- Provenance
- Provenance research underway.
- Label
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The apparition of a beautiful young Japanese woman appears in the smoke from a Chinese-style incense brazier, an image that recalls the Chinese legend of an emperor who saw his deceased beloved in the smoke of a magical incense. Stories of deceased or wronged lovers appearing in smoke were a popular theme in kabuki, although this is not a theatrical scene. On another level, this print functions as a calendar for the second year of the Meiwa era (1765). The date is inscribed in Chinese characters beneath the rim of the incense brazier. The open wrapper reveals several packets of incense inscribed with poetic names that identify the short months of the lunar year 1765: specifically, the first, fourth, seventh, ninth, eleventh, and twelfth months. This print, produced at the beginning of full-color printing, is a rare and exemplary work by Ran'u, a contemporary of Harunobu. It was once in the renowned Japanese print collection of the French jeweler, Henri Vever, whose seal appears in the corner.
- Published References
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- Ann Yonemura, et al. Masterful Illusions: Japanese Prints from the Anne van Biema Collection. Seattle and Washington. cat. 109, pp. 272-273.
- Collection Area(s)
- Japanese Art
- Web Resources
- Google Cultural Institute
- SI Usage Statement
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Usage Conditions Apply
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CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)
This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
Usage Conditions Apply
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
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International Image Interoperability Framework
FS-7433_51