Trees that Bring Wealth and Prosperity: Beauty

Maker(s)
Artist: Utagawa Hiroshige ζ­Œε·εΊƒι‡ (1797-1858)
Historical period(s)
Edo period, 1845
Medium
Ink and color on paper
Dimensions
H x W (overall): 36.2 x 24.7 cm (14 1/4 x 9 3/4 in)
Geography
Japan
Credit Line
The Anne van Biema Collection
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Collection
Accession Number
S2004.3.231
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Print
Type

Woodblock print

Keywords
Anne van Biema collection, Edo period (1615 - 1868), Japan, mirror, oban, poems, ukiyo-e, woman
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Label

From a series linking various wifely virtues to trees that bring wealth and prosperity, this print by Hiroshige-an artist best known for his landscape series-portrays a young woman admiring herself in a mirror. She is shown from the rear, a view that displays with erotic suggestion the graceful curve of her neck, soft arms, and slender fingers. The wifely virtues praised here are cleanliness and good grooming. The poem underscores this theme:

The mirror captures me
in the very lap of luxury,
amidst gorgeous flowers.

Translation of poem by John T. Carpenter

Published References
  • At the Museums. vol. XLIX, no. 1, 2003. p. 71.
  • Ann Yonemura, et al. Masterful Illusions: Japanese Prints from the Anne van Biema Collection. Seattle and Washington. cat. 115, pp. 284-285.
Collection Area(s)
Japanese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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