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Women Arriving for a Visit in Snow (Parody of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms?)


雪の訪問 (見立三国志 玄徳三雪中孔明訪ヵ)
Utagawa Toyokuni I (Japanese, 1769–1825)
Publisher: Murataya Jirobei (Eiyûdô) (Japanese)
Japanese
Edo period
1805 (Bunka 2), 12th month

Medium/Technique Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper
Dimensions Vertical ôban triptych; 38.8 x 77.4 cm (15 1/4 x 30 1/2 in.)
Credit Line William Sturgis Bigelow Collection
Accession Number11.13809-11
NOT ON VIEW
ClassificationsPrints

DescriptionTriptych: 11.13809 (center), 11.13810 (left), 11.13811 (right)

MFA impressions: 11.13809-11 (complete triptych), 21.6956 (L only)

Possibly a parody of the story of Liu Bei's three visits to Kongming (Zhuge liang), from the Chinese historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Signed Toyokuni ga (on each sheet)
豊国画
Marks Censor's seals: kiwame, 12
改印:極、十弐
ProvenanceBy 1911, purchased by William Sturgis Bigelow (b. 1850 – d. 1926), Boston [see note 1]; 1911, gift of Bigelow to the MFA. (Accession Date: August 3, 1911)

NOTES:
[1] Much of Bigelow's collection of Asian art was formed during his residence in Japan between 1882 and 1889, although he also made acquisitions in Europe and the United States. Bigelow deposited many of these objects at the MFA in 1890 before donating them to the Museum's collection at later dates.