The Awaishi Fishers
Kitagawa Utamaro I 1735 - 1806
Summary
This is the third of a series of three prints that make up a triptych when placed together. The triptych depicts a group of 'ama' divers (women whose work is to dive for shellfish or pearls) finishing a day of diving for sea snails. In this print a woman wrings the end of a red cloth tied around her waist. She is holding a knife in her mouth used for opening shells. She looks behind her to the viewer's right where a woman crouching picks shellfish from a basket to buy. A poem on the right side of the print reads (in translation) 'More tempting than the flesh of the abalone is the skin of the diver'.
Object Name
The Awaishi Fishers
Creators Name
Date Created
1797-1798
Dimensions
framed: 54.5cm x 40.8cm
accession number
1978.324/91
Collection Group
Place of creation
Japan
Medium