Nakamura Utaemon III as Seigen, Nakamura Karoku as Sakurahime, and Nakamura Daikichi as Tsutaki

Object Details

• Artist

  Jukodo Yoshikuni 寿好堂よし国 (active ca. 1803-1840)

• Publisher

  Shioya Chobei 塩屋長兵衛 (active 1800)

• Label

  This unusual format diptych illustrates the story of the doomed lovers Sakurahime and Seigen. The monk Seigen had fallen in love with a young male acolyte, who committed suicide after vowing to be reborn female so they could be together. Seventeen years later, Seigen believes he has at last found his lover again in the young woman Sakurahime and continues to pursue her even after his death. Sakurahime is sold to a brothel, and each night, Seigen appears in his ghostly form to chase away her clients.

• Collection

  National Museum of Asian Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Staging the Supernatural: Ghosts and the Theater in Japanese Prints (March 23 to October 6, 2024)

• Origin

  Japan

• Credit Line

  The Pearl and Seymour Moskowitz Collection

• Type

  Print

• 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

  Jukodo, Yoshikuni, Shioya, Chobei

• Place

  Japan

• Topic

  Lovers, Art, Actors and actresses, Ghost, Edo period, Japan, (1600 - 1868), Japanese Art, The Pearl and Seymour Moskowitz Collection

• Culture

  Japanese

• Object Type

  Prints