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「遊君 四睡（しすい）」
Courtesans Imitating the Four Sleepers (Yûkun shisui), from a set of courtesan parodies
「遊君 四睡（しすい）」
Okumura Masanobu (Japanese, 1686–1764)
Japanese
Edo period
Medium/Technique
Woodblock print (sumizuri-e); ink on paper
Dimensions
Horizontal ôban; 29.3 x 39.5 cm (11 9/16 x 15 9/16 in.)
Credit Line
Denman Waldo Ross Collection
Accession Number06.1165
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsAsia, Prints and Drawings
ClassificationsPrints
A Zen Buddhist legend often depicted in Japanese ink painting tells of an elderly monk in ancient China who was so enlightened that he had no qualms about friendship with a tiger. His closest companions were two eccentric young men who also lived at the monastery, and the three men and the tiger enjoyed many carefree naps together. Masanobu’s clever print, from a larger set of parodies, shows a courtesan sleeping with her tiger-striped cat and two kamuro, child attendants.
Catalogue Raisonné
The series: Shibui, "Masanobu no sumi-e," Ukiyo-e no kenkyû VI.3 (March 1929), #M (this design not illustrated)
DescriptionMFA impressions: 06.1104 (modern impression), 06.1165
Woodblock: RES.06.4
Woodblock: RES.06.4
Signed
(this sheet unsigned)
無款
無款
Marks
Artist's seal: Tanchôsai
Provenance1900, purchased by Denman Waldo Ross from Yamanaka & Co., New York; 1906 gift of Denman Waldo Ross, Cambridge, Massachusetts to the MFA. (Accession Date: March 8, 1906)