Cherry Viewing Party

This colorful screen illustrates a favorite Japanese seasonal pastime, the viewing of cherry blossoms. Within a curtained enclosure, sumptuously dressed men and women are shown enjoying a puppet play to the accompaniment of music played on the longnecked shamisen. Some members of the party sit before an elegant painted folding screen, thus demonstrating how these objects were used by the Japanese out-of-doors for privacy and protection against the wind. Although unsigned, this work reflects the delicate style of Miyagawa Choshun (1683-1753), an ukiyo-e artist who specialized in painting rather than woodblock prints. Choshun was particularly skillful at depicting groups of figures who seem to interact in a natural and convincing manner.