A Man in a Kneeling Posture Bending Forward and Listening to an Oiran who is Playing the Shamisen

The print depicts a man leaning forward towards a woman who plays the shamisen, a three stringed musical instrument associated with popular performance and the pleasure quarters. The work dates to approximately 1705-7. The shamisen a three stringed instrument with a long neck and a resonating body, it is played with a large plectrum. It became an important instrument in Japanese popular music and was associated with kabuki theatre, puppet theatre and entertainment in the pleasure quarters. The woman's act of playing the instrument gives the scene a particular social and cultural dimension. Music was not incidental to the identity of a high ranking courtesan. It formed part of the repertoire of skills through which she demonstrated her refinement and entertained clients. The composition is organised around the contrast between two figures. The woman sits upright, holding the shamisen diagonally across her body. The instrument creates a strong visual line that directs the viewer's attention towards her hands and the act of playing. The man by contrast, bends forward towards her. His body is positioned low in the composition, and his posture suggests attentiveness and absorption. The difference between his inclined body and her upright position creates a visual relationship that is both intimate and hierarchical. The print's visual interest lies in its economy. The artist communicates the social relationship between the figures through posture, gesture and the placement of the instrument. The man does not need to be shown speaking and the woman does not need to be shown addressing him directly. Their relationship is conveyed through the direction of his body and the activity that occupies her attention.