Shimabara Courtesans Exorcizing Demons

Miyagawa Isshō

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Two young, brightly dressed courtesans and an older lady—whose puffed-out cheeks resemble those of the auspicious maiden Otafuku—are performing the ritual act of tossing beans to exorcize evil as part of the Setsubun Festival, celebrated on the eve of the beginning of spring. While tossing beans, people shout, “Out with the demons, in with good luck” (Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi). Here the artist has literally shown demons fleeing the courtesans and elderly attendant, who stand behind the lattice windows of a brothel. The senryū (seventeen-syllable humorous poem) playfully suggests that for a courtesan of the Shimabara pleasure quarters in Kyoto, the best New Year’s dream would be for a treasure boat to arrive in the form of a wealthy client. There was a custom of placing a picture of a treasure boat under one’s pillow on New Year’s Eve to ensure an auspicious dream. The poem reads: Shimabara no yume ni teki nashi takarabune Nothing rivals the dream of a Shimabara courtesan— brought by a treasure boat. —Kikusai (with handwritten seal) (Trans. John T. Carpenter)

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art