c. 1690
Attributed to Hishikawa Moronobu Japanese, (?)-1694
Japan
A group of courtesans parade with servants carrying umbrellas. The print appears to depict a typical scene in the Yoshiwara pleasure quarters of Edo. However, a figure on the left is identified as one of the legendary Soga brothers, 12th-century heroes whose story of valor is retold in countless Kabuki plays. It is possible that this print may depict a scene from an unidentified Soga brothers drama.
Woodblock print; sumizuri-e, kakemono yoko-e