Artist Utagawa Kunisada I (Japanese, 1786–1864 (or 1865?))
Title The Tale of the Morning Glory (E iri shô setsu asagao monogatari)
Series Titles of Dance Descriptions
Date 1856
Medium Color woodblock print on paper
Dimensions Overall: 14 1/2 x 9 1/2 in. (36.8 x 24.1 cm)
Credit Line Gift of Dr. J. Frederick Beineke, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University
Accession Number 69.122.16
About this Work
This print illustrates a scene in the tragic love story of star-crossed lovers Miyuki and Asojirō, who endure mistaken identities and physical hardships in their quest to reunite.
In this scene, Miyuki and Miyagi Asojirō fall in love at first sight when her fan accidentally blows into his boat on the Uji river in Kyoto. He writes a poem about a morning glory (asagao) on her fan. Kept apart, they meet again at the port of Akashi when Asojirō hears Miyuki singing a morning glory song. She throws him her fan as their boats drift apart.
Miyuki weeps so much while longing for Asojirō that she goes blind and is forced to support herself as a blind musician playing the koto. Asojirō recognizes her at an inn singing the morning glory song, but cannot reveal his identity. He leaves her the morning glory fan, money, and medicine to cure her blindness. This medicine, however, only works when mixed with fresh blood. When she discovers his identity, she runs after him into a storm, but is trapped by a rising river. Her loyal servant sacrifices himself so she can use his blood to regain her sight, and she runs off to find her lover.
