Utagawa Kunisada (歌川国貞) / Toyokuni III (三代豊国) (artist 1786 – 01/12/1865)
A young mother is hanging a mosquito net to protect herself and her child against a lightning storm - center panel of a triptych
1820s
9.5 in x 14 in (Overall dimensions) Japanese color woodblock print
Signed: Gototei Kunisada ga
五渡亭国貞画
Publisher: Yamamotoya Heikichi
(Marks 595 - seal 04-007)
Censor's seal: kiwame
Museum für angewandte Kunst, Vienna
Tokyo Metropolitan Library - the whole triptych
Hagi Uragami Museum of Art - center panel
Hokkaido Museum of Art - the whole triptych
Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art - the whole triptych
Lyon Collection - fan print featuring Ichikawa Danjūrō VII The woman is setting up her kaya or mosquito netting because it was believed that this could offer protection against, demons, ogres, ghosts and - as in this case - lightning strikes. The characters '夕立' on the end of her obi read 'shower'. The smoke pouring from the blue vessel on the left is probably there to help ward off mosquitoes.
On the floor of the left panel, not shown here, is a poem by Danjūrō VII. The Lyon Collection owns a print which prominently displays this actor, #1066. See the link above.
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There are other copies of the full triptych at the Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art and the Hagi Uragami Museum of Art.
Yamamotoya Heikichi (山本屋平吉) (publisher)
beautiful women (bijin-ga - 美人画) (genre)
boshi-e (母子絵) (genre)