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YASHIMA GAKUTEI (active 1815-1852)
The Dancer Hotoke Gozen, late 1820s Signature
Gakutei hitsu color woodblock print
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Gift of Caroline and Jarred Morse

This design is the left sheet of a triptych of a famous scene in the medieval war tale Heike monogatari (The Tale of Heike) in which Hotoke Gozen enraptures Taira no Kiyomori with her elegant dancing. The other designs show Gingyo preparing to playa koto, and her sister Gyo dancing. Hotoke Gozen is performing a shirabyoshi dance costumed in ancient courtier's robes with a sword.