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utabikuni@‰Μ”δ‹u“ς
KEY WORD :@art history / paintings
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Lit. singing nuns. A type of mid-Edo period (18c) prostitute who dressed to resemble Buddhist nuns (bikuni) and chanted the nenbutsu ”O•§, set phrases of invocation and praise to *Amida ˆ’–ν‘Ι to attract customers. With shaved heads, and wearing silk cowls and wide sashes (obi ‘Ρ), these women would wander through the streets of major towns ostensibly selling amulets from Mt. Kumano ŒF–μ. The term utabikuni originated in the Muromachi period when it designated nuns from the Kumano area to travel the country explaining Buddhist stories often employing pictures to win converts. Also called etoki bikuni ŠG‰π”δ‹u“ς or kanjin bikuni Š©i”δ‹u“ς, they gradually added elements of romance to spice up their narratives. Over time, love as related to salvation changed to love (and sex) for money, the real basis of their profession. Utabikuni were depicted in late 17c and 18c *fuuzokuga •—‘­‰ζ, appearing in screens and scrolls depicting urban life and as the sole subjects of hanging scrolls such as one in the MOA Museum, Atami.
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