As monks chant by the side of a river, a vision of the famous courtesan eguchi appears on the water before them. Eguchi and two young women stand in the gorgeous attire of courtesans within a framework barge that represents a floating brothel. It is revealed to the monks, through song and dance, that eguchi is in fact an incarnation of a buddhist deity, the bodhisattva fugen. Eguchi extols buddhist virtues:
once man has attained detachment,
the fleeting world exists no more;
lovers no longer
are anxiously waited for when night falls;
no more the grief of parting. Spring flowers and autumn leaves,
moon and snow-all cease to move him. Date: 1899 (Meiji). Place of creation: Tokyo, Japan. Dimensions: height: 24.7 cm (9.7 in); width: 37.1 cm (14.6 in). Medium: pigments on mulberry paper. Collection: Walters Art Museum. Matsuke Heikichi - Nogaku zue - Walters 95269
Loading...
