Kubo Shunman 窪俊満: New Year’s Surimono with Two Beauties and Noh Screen from the Feather Robe Noh drama

Artist: Kubo Shunman (1757-1820)Title: New Year’s Surimono with Two Beauties and Noh Screen from the Feather Robe Noh drama  Date: Kansei 6 (1794), Year of  Gi-no-Tiger, Spring New Year 寛政6、甲寅年春正月   Dimensions: 18.5 x 25.3 cm Our view is of an intimate and rather mysterious New Year’s scene, with the ladies at left presumably at home, shown at left behind a single-leaf wooden screen which depicts a scene from the Noh drama “The Feather Robe (Hagoromo羽衣)”. The screen occupies the large part of this print, whereas the ladies behind are just glimpsed,  who seem to be watching something happening behind the screen, as they are reacting to some sort of activity unseen to the viewer. The woman in the blue kimono seems to be leaning aside on her both hands on the tatami mat, and a second woman in a kimono with chrysanthemum patterns against purple seems just about to make a move with her open left hand. Next to them is a sanpô-dai high tray with a small plate. The screen is framed in black la