Gaiety in a river-side tea-house
In addition to its central role in theater, the shamisen often appears in scenes of parties, picnics, teahouses, and festival celebrations. This detail from a hanging scroll depicts a teahouse overlooking the Sumida River (in present-day Tokyo), where a musician in the foreground plays shamisen to entertain a client. The banks of the Sumida River near the old Ryogoku Bridge, shown at right, were a popular site for entertainment and commerce.
Detail, Gaiety in a Riverside Teahouse. Japan, Edo period, 18th century. Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on paper. Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1901.28.