Kansei era (1789–1801) Donated by Saitō Shōji
These dolls illustrate the scene at Ebisuya, an inn in Shimada, during the puppet play “The Tale of the Morning Glory” (“Asagao Nikki” in Japanese). The play depicts a love story between a blind musician named Asagao—the ‘morning glory’ of the tale—and the handsome samurai Miyagi Asojirō. Here, she is playing the koto (Japanese zither) and recounting her tragic story to a guest at the inn. Because she is blind, she does not realize that the guest is Asojirō, whom she has been looking for; he is unable to reveal his identity to her, and the two young lovers part ways.