Nagara Pleasure Quarter, Kanazawa (Translation)
Souvenirs of Travels I (Series Title)
川瀬巴水 旅みやげ第一集 金沢ながれのくるわ 大正九年秋 木版画 (Primary Title)
Tabi miyage dai isshu, Kanazawa Nagare no kuruwa (Transliterated Title)
Kawase Hasui 川瀬巴水, Japanese, 1883 - 1957 (Artist)
The pleasure quarter in Kanazawa is one of only two geisha cultural centers that survives today in Japan (the other is Cion in Kyoto). During the Edo period (1615-1868), this area attracted samurai and geishas, who gathered in teahouses enjoying food and music. Here, in horizontal zones, Hasui depicts in dark gray and blue an evening scene of two-hundred-year old teahouses lining the Asano River. Reflections of lanterns hover in the water, shades of the foliage cover the buildings, and a half moon hangs in the sky. The viewer can hear the rustle of silk, the sound of the shamisen being played, and cheers of the elite guests.
Taisho period (1912-1926)
巴水 Hasui
Artist's seal; Publisher's seal.
金沢ながれのくるわ
René and Carolyn Balcer Collection
©artist or artist’s estate
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