Parrot Komachi (Omu Komachi), from the series The Seven Fashionable Aspects of Komachi (Furyu yatsushi nana Komachi)
Edo period (1615–1868), 1751/64
Medium
Color woodblock print; hosoban
Dimensions
31.8 × 15 cm (12 1/2 × 5 7/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
89011
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
According to legend, poet Ono no Komachi received a letter from the emperor asking if she missed being at court. By changing only one character, Komachi was able to answer the question with an emphatic yes. This story is referred to as “Parrot Komachi” because of the bird’s talent for repetition. Here a courtesan hands a letter to her assistant, while a parrot is pictured on the standing screen behind her. As with many of the prints in this gallery, this image is a mitate-e (parody picture), in ...
About the Artist
Suzuki Harunobu · 1725–1770
Suzuki Harunobu (c. 1725-1770) was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist who revolutionized woodblock printing by developing nishiki-e—full-color prints using multiple woodblocks—in 1765. Before Harunobu, Japanese prints were limited to two or three colors; his innovation unleashed the entire artist's palette, transforming ukiyo-e into the vibrant art form that would later captivate Western artists from Manet...