Entertainment near the Cherry Blossoms, anonymous, c. 1850

Entertainment near the Cherry Blossoms, anonymous, c. 1850

ink, paint, gold, h 138cm × w 424cm × d 16mm More details

This folding screen depicts the world of entertainment in Japan, featuring a stage performance on the right and people dancing near cherry blossoms on the left. Below, an elderly man sits on a carpet, with a servant beside him. Seated next to him is a wakashu: an adolescent, but not yet mature, man involved in the world of entertainment. In this transitional phase, he could form relationships with both men and women.