Theater Scenes

Object Details

• Artist

  Miyagawa Choshun 宮川長春 (1683-1753)

• Label

  This handscroll depicts eighteenth-century Japanese theatrical entertainments and their audiences in precise detail. Since the scroll is "read" from right to left, we first encounter a group of people moving toward the entrance of a theater. Those who are attracted by the announcements of the performance enter the theater toward the left.

  As the scroll is unrolled further, the theater is revealed. An audience sits attentively on the floor, enjoying tea poured by a handsome young man, while a more privileged group occupies a raised platform, having brought picnic food an wine in a portable lacquer case. The puppets are operated from below. They are similar in type and scale to the puppets used in modern bunraku, where the puppeteers appear on stage during the performance.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  The Arts of Japan (July 14, 2012 to January 13, 2013)

  Seasons: Arts of Japan (February 5, 2011 to January 13, 2013)

  The Floating World: Ukiyo-e Paintings and Prints (December 8, 2002 to May 26, 2003)

  Japanese Theatre in the Edo Period (July 22, 1985 to October 15, 1985)

  Japanese Lacquer (18 May 1980 to 15 June 1980)

  Japanese Ceramics/Puppets (June 16, 1980 to July 14, 1980)

  A Decade of Discovery: Selected Acquisitions 1970-1980 (November 9, 1979 to May 22, 1980)

• Origin

  Japan

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

  There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1700s, 1710s, 1720s, 1770s, 1780s, 1790s, 1730s, 1740s, 1750s, 1760s, 1800s, 1810s, 1820s, 1830s, 1610s, 1650s, 1640s, 1630s, 1620s, 1690s, 1840s, 1680s, 1850s, 1670s, 1860s, 1660s

• Name

  Miyagawa, Choshun

• Place

  Japan

• Topic

  Theater, Art, Drums (Membranophones), Shamisen, Edo period, Japan, (1600 - 1868), Japanese Art, Ukiyo-e, Children

• Culture

  Japanese

• Object Type

  Paintings