Minneapolis Institute of Art

Courtesan as the Daoist Immortal Kinkō riding on a carp

Suzuki Harunobu

Date: c. 1768
Medium: Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper
Department: Asian Art
Institution: Minneapolis Institute of Art

The Taoist immortal Kinkō is said to have been fond of fish, and to have passed his days making paintings of them. On his 200th birthday, a great carp appeared which took Kinkō on a sightseeing tour of the waterways. He returned carrying a Buddhist scroll exhorting humankind to refrain from harming fish. Ukiyo-e artists updated the Kinkō theme by transforming the wizened old sage into a beautiful prostitute. Japan, Asia

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