Fanciful ëFloatingí Two Exhibits Depict Indulgent, Luxurious of Life During Edo Period by Natalie Koss A world of singing songs, drinking wine, and diverting ourselves just in floating, floating Ö like a gourd along with the river current.î These sentiments, written by Japanese author Asai Ryoi during the 1600s, capture the indulgent and fanciful nature of two new exhibits at the Freer Gallery of Art titled ìThe Floating World Revealedî and ìTea in the Floating World.î Offering a unique perspective into Japanese art and culture, ìThe Floating Worldî is closely associated with the theater districts and licensed pleasure quarters of Japanís major cities during the Edo period (1615-1868). Despite the Japanese governmentís efforts to constrain excessive luxury and moral decadence through regulation, censorship and isolation, paintings depicting the stars of the ukiyo-e (the floating world of transient pleasures) saturated this period. The images most frequently depicted were Kabuki theater actors, who created a world of illusion and fantasy onstage, and the glamorous, high-ranking courtesans of the urban pleasure quarters. Kabuki plays were attended by a broad cross-section of the population, including wealthy merchants and samurai, who also patronized the high-class brothels of the licensed pleasure quarters. Shown in two parts, the exhibition features 15 paintings and 32 woodblock prints that depict the famous Kabuki actors, courtesans and theatrical scenes. Printed woodblock pictures first appeared in Japan as book illustrations in the mid-17th century. The commercial production of hundreds of these prints portraying Kabuki superstars in regal full costume became popular subject matter for woodblock print artists, who also designed prints of the courtesans. Many of the woodblock prints seen in the Freer exhibit reveal bold graphic designs, individualized portraits and dramatic movement. For instance, ìScene From a Kabuki Playî is a paradigmatic representation of the subjects of this period. Its vibrant colors and geometric patterns offer an intensely rendered portrait of a dramatic Kabuki scene. The figures are shown with a potent sense of emotion and color, creating a comprehensive scene of both skill and fantasy. Although woodblock prints are the best-known pictures of the ìfloating world,î many artists of the Edo period created paintings for patrons ranging from merchants to top officials. The artistic skills of ukiyo-e painters varied, but many paintings reveal a high level of professional skill and rich detail depicting the transient pleasure that the floating world embraced. The exhibitís tour-de-force is its largest masterpiece, ìMoonlight Revelry at Dozo Sagami,î depicting a spacious salon in an elite pleasure house. This painting demonstrates the Japanese craft of incorporating both playful subjects and skillful artistry into a single work. Here, painter Kitagawa Utamaro uses principles of European perspective to depict an intricate architectural setting with a striking view of a moonlit bay. Meanwhile, Geisha play music in the center of the room as courtesans and their attendants pass the night with games and other fanciful amusements. A second complementary exhibit, ìTea in the Floating World,î displays decorative luxury tea utensils that might have been used by courtesans and their patrons. Closely associated with Zen Buddhism, tea drinking was of high importance during the Edo period. The few, yet elegant, pieces demonstrate an austere, meditative artistic practice balanced with a common tradition of hospitality and entertainment commonly associated with the floating world of actors and courtesans. Although modern concepts of a tea ceremony bring to mind a highly formalized ritual, the tea ceremony was also a standard, everyday event found in high-class brothels and the dressing rooms of Kabuki theaters. ìThe Floating World Revealedî and ìTea in the Floating Worldî run through May 26 at the Freer Gallery of Art, Independence Avenue at 12th Street, SW. For more information, please call (202) 357-2700 or visit www.asia.si.edu. Natalie Koss is a freelance writer in Washington, D.C.