Salt Maidens Collection

The Actor Segawa Kitsuji III as Murasame in the Play Gohiiki Kanjincho, Performed... c. 1773. Creator: Shunsho
The Actor Segawa Kitsuji III as Murasame in the Play Gohiiki Kanjincho, Performed at the Nakamura Theater in the Eleventh Month, 1773, Japan, c. 1773

The Actor Segawa Kitsuji III as Murasame in the Play Gohiiki Kanjincho, Performed... c. 1773. Creator: Shunsho
The Actor Segawa Kitsuji III as Murasame in the Play Gohiiki Kanjincho, Performed at the Nakamura Theater in the Eleventh Month, 1773, Japan, c. 1773

The Actors Nakamura Nakazo I as Matsukaze (right), Ichikawa Komazo II as Ariwara no Yuk... c. 1772. Creator: Shunsho
The Actors Nakamura Nakazo I as Matsukaze (right), Ichikawa Komazo II as Ariwara no Yukihira (center), and Iwai Hanshiro IV as Murasame (left), in the Play Kuni no Hana Ono no Itsumoji

The Actors Nakamura Nakazo I as Matsukaze (right), Ichikawa Komazo II as Ariwara no Yuk... c. 1772. Creator: Shunsho
The Actors Nakamura Nakazo I as Matsukaze (right), Ichikawa Komazo II as Ariwara no Yukihira (center), and Iwai Hanshiro IV as Murasame (left), in the Play Kuni no Hana Ono no Itsumoji

The Actor Segawa Yujiro I as Matsukaze, Sister of Togashi no Saemon, in the Play Gohiik... c. 1773. Creator: Shunsho
The Actor Segawa Yujiro I as Matsukaze, Sister of Togashi no Saemon, in the Play Gohiiki Kanjincho (Your Favorite Play Kanjincho [The Subscription List])

The Brine Maidens of Suma, from the series "A Brocade of Eastern Manners...", c. 1783/84
The Brine Maidens of Suma, from the series "A Brocade of Eastern Manners (Fuzoku Azuma no nishiki)", c. 1783/84

Matsukaze Murasame, ca. 1675-80. Creator: Hishikawa Moronobu
Matsukaze Murasame, ca. 1675-80

The Actor Segawa Kikunojo II as Matsukaze in the play "Kisoeuta Sakae Komachi, "performed... 1762
The Actor Segawa Kikunojo II as Matsukaze in the play " Kisoeuta Sakae Komachi, " performed at the Ichimura Theater in the eleventh month, 1762, 1762

The Actors Arashi Otohachi I as Fukakusa no Shosho, Ichimura Uzaemon IX as Ariwara no Yuki... 1762
The Actors Arashi Otohachi I as Fukakusa no Shosho, Ichimura Uzaemon IX as Ariwara no Yukihira, and Nakamura Matsue I as Murasame in the play "Kisoe Uta Sakae Komachi

The Brine Maiden, Japan, 1830. Creator: Hokusai
The Brine Maiden, Japan, 1830

The Brine Maidens of Suma (Shiokumi, Suma), 1783. Creator: Torii Kiyonaga
The Brine Maidens of Suma (Shiokumi, Suma), 1783

The Salt Maidens Murusame and Matsukaze, ca. 1786. Creator: Torii Kiyonaga
The Salt Maidens Murusame and Matsukaze, ca. 1786

The Dance of the Beach Maidens from the series Brocade of the East, ca. 1770

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In the heart of Iran lies a mysterious and enchanting phenomenon known as the "salt maidens." These otherworldly formations are created by centuries of salt deposits accumulating in ancient caves, shaping delicate and ethereal figures that resemble ghostly women frozen in time. Legend has it that these they were once living beings who were transformed into statues as punishment for their vanity or greed. Visitors to these mystical caves are mesmerized by the haunting beauty of these salt maidens, their translucent bodies shimmering in the dim light like apparitions from another realm. As you stand among them, you can almost feel the weight of history and hear whispers carried on the salty breeze, reminding us of our fleeting existence and the power of nature to both create and destroy. The salt maidens serve as a poignant reminder of our own mortality and fragility, urging us to cherish every moment we have on this earth before we too become mere shadows etched in stone.