The Courtesan Agemaki, the Ruffian Hero Sukeroku, and Hige no Ikyū

Minneapolis Institute of Art

The Courtesan Agemaki, the Ruffian Hero Sukeroku, and Hige no Ikyū

Kitagawa Utamaro; Publisher: Yamaguchiya Chūsuke

Date
c. 1798–1800
Medium
Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper
Department
Asian Art
Institution
Minneapolis Institute of Art

The game played here is kazu-ken , a numbers game that originated in China. In this game, players make numbers from zero to five with their right hands, while predicting and then calling out the combined number from all players. The loser has to drink a cup of sake. This is a visual parody of the Kabuki play Sukeroku’s Affinity for Edo Cherry Blossoms ( Sukeroku yukari no Edo zakura ), but none of the three figures is a Kabuki actor. The story of the play centers on the love affair between the prostitute Agemaki and the dashing dandy Sukeroku, who is playing with his rival Ikyū (left). Japan, Asia

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