17th Century Courtesans and Nobleman Playing Sugoroku

Details

Description

This is an early Edo-period Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock print mounted in a traditional fan leaf shape (ōgata-e).

Subject Matter: Two … Read more This is an early Edo-period Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock print mounted in a traditional fan leaf shape (ōgata-e).

Subject Matter: Two elegant women are seated playing ban-sugoroku (盤双六), a traditional Japanese backgammon board game played with dice and black-and-white checkers. Observing them from behind is an aristocrat or samurai in formal robes and an eboshi cap, while a young maid kneels respectfully on the right.

Period & Style: Late 17th century (Genroku era, c. 1680s–1700s). The expressive line work and figurative style are characteristic of early ukiyo-e masters such as Sugimura Jihei (杉村治兵衛) or the school of Hishikawa Moronobu (菱川師宣).

Medium: Ink woodblock print (sumizuri-e) with delicate hand-applied color pigments (tan-e), trimmed to fit a fan frame or album display.

Setting: An interior garden view featuring banana palm leaves (bashō), decorative screens, and draped curtains, typical of classical Japanese genre scenes (fūzokuga) illustrating courtly or upper-class leisure activities. See less