Minneapolis Institute of Art

Visual Parody of the Tale of Shiranui

Utagawa Yoshitaki; Publisher: Wataya Masasuke

Date

first half 1870s

Medium

Woodblock prints (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper with mica and burnishing

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

This unusual and striking seven-sheet composition by the Osaka print-designer Yoshitaki depicts a fictional array of actors from The Tale of Shiranui (Shiranui monogatari), a bestselling serial novel that was published from 1849 until1885. The story is a revenge tale of a samurai woman facing the downfall of her family. Several kabuki adaptations were developed, but this composition is not related to an actual performance. At its center is the beautiful Princess Wakana, who is in reality an earth spider, here unveiled as she is sitting on one. Her web spreads over all seven sheets behind six warriors ready to fight her. Japan, Asia

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