Portrait of a Courtesan
Chōbunsai Eishi, Japanese, 1756 - 1829
Geography:
Made in Japan, Asia
Period:
Edo Period (1615-1868)Date:
After 1802?Medium:
Ink, colors, and gold on silk; mounted as a hanging scrollDimensions:
Painting: 3 feet 2 1/4 inches x 1 foot 15/16 inches (97.2 x 32.9 cm) Mount: 5 feet 8 1/2 inches x 1 foot 7 1/4 inches (174 x 48.9 cm)Curatorial Department:
East Asian ArtObject Location:
1997-22-1Credit Line:
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Warren H. Watanabe, 1997
Made in Japan, Asia
Period:
Edo Period (1615-1868)Date:
After 1802?Medium:
Ink, colors, and gold on silk; mounted as a hanging scrollDimensions:
Painting: 3 feet 2 1/4 inches x 1 foot 15/16 inches (97.2 x 32.9 cm) Mount: 5 feet 8 1/2 inches x 1 foot 7 1/4 inches (174 x 48.9 cm)Curatorial Department:
East Asian ArtObject Location:
Currently not on view
Accession Number:1997-22-1Credit Line:
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Warren H. Watanabe, 1997
Social Tags [?]
cherry blossom [x] courtesan [x] crane [x] drawing [x] edo [x] fabric [x] female figure [x] good luck symbol [x] ink [x] japanese artist [x] japanese lettering [x] japanese text [x] kimono [x] naka no cho [x] ota nampo [x] painted fabric [x] painted silk [x] poem [x] silk [x] symbolism [x] turtle [x] ukiyo-e [x] wall hanging [x]The decorative symbols on the kimono—cranes and turtles—are auspicious emblems for long life, often used at New Year's celebrations. The poem, written by Ota Nampo (1749–1823), reads (translated): "Beside the / Flowering Cherries / Of Naka no cho Not a single / Tree from the / Deep mountain valleys."
"Naka no cho" was the main avenue in the pleasure quarters of Edo (present-day Tokyo). The poem implies that no uncultivated country woman would be found among the sophisticated beauties of this area.
The textile mount around the painting is from a kimono; its pattern echoes the mountain valley of the poem.
