Utagawa Kuninao 歌川國直Japanese, 1793–1854Mouse Wedding
May one see it?
Not receiving at present
Victoria and Albert Museum
London, United Kingdom
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum's own collection data
About the painting
This sheet shows the finished designs for a small printed book, the coloured panel representing the front cover. Usually aimed at children, such books were popular in Japan towards the end of the Edo period (1615-1868). In these illustrations, the artist Kuninao tells the story of a two mice in search of a bridegroom for their daughter.
Social status was an important factor in marriage during the Edo period. Among the higher social classes, prospective partners would be selected by one's parents or relatives. The wedding itself was a formal affair with strict social etiquette and gift-giving traditions to be observed. As these designs show, the situation was no different for the mice in this story!
Read on
This sheet is a copyist's drawing and would have been copied from Kuninao's original sketches. The copyist's drawing is usually destroyed when the initial printing block is carved. The survival of this sheet suggests that the designs were never realised as finished prints.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Particulars
- Accession number
- E.5095-1910
In the catalog
Sources
- Victoria and Albert Museum: the museum's own open data · fetched 12 days ago
- Image: Victoria and Albert Museum — © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
