Artwork Page for The Shika Teahouse

Details / Information for The Shika Teahouse

The Shika Teahouse

しか茶屋

early 1790s

Utagawa Toyokuni 歌川 豊国

(Japanese, 1769–1825)
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Culture
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)
Medium
One of a triptych of color woodblock prints
Measurements
39.2 x 26.4 cm (15 7/16 x 10 3/8 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Wade 1916.1113.b
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

Exotic birds and tobacco—Western imports—feature in this composition. Peacocks and parrots were brought to Japan by Dutch traders in the 1700s. Many of the visitors to this teahouse, which specialized in displays of foreign birds, admire the unusual fowl while sipping tea and smoking long pipes. The birds have attracted curious courtesans, entertainers, samurai, merchants and their wives, and even a Buddhist monk.
A vertically oriented woodblock print depicts four people with light skin tones in a garden. On the left, a woman in a patterned kimono stands holding a fan. Behind her, a smaller figure kneels with a tray. Another woman stands holding a cup, looking toward a third woman seated on a platform on the right. In the background, peacocks stand inside a wire enclosure. Japanese calligraphy and seals mark the bottom-right corner.

The Shika Teahouse

early 1790s

Utagawa Toyokuni

(Japanese, 1769–1825)
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)

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