Japanese Courtesans and Poetry

Elegant portrayals of courtesans and young women engaged in poetic exchanges, showcasing traditional Japanese culture and attire.

Hanami zuki - digital file from original print | Library of Congress

Scene from a Drama Katsukawa Shunshō　川春章 Japanese. Scene from a Drama 55488

Suzuki Harunobu (1724 July 7, 1770) was a Japanese woodblock print artist, one of the most famous in the Ukiyo-e style. He was an innovator, the first to produce full-color prints (nishiki-e) in 1765, rendering obsolete the former modes of two- and three-color prints. Harunobu used many special techniques, and depicted a wide variety of subjects, from classical poems to contemporary beauties (bijin, bijin-ga). Like many artists of his day, Harunobu also produced a number of shunga, or erotic images. During his lifetime and shortly afterwards, many artists imitated his style. A few, such as Harushige, even boasted of their ability to forge the work of the great master. Much about Harunobu's life is unknown.

Act Two The Quarters of Momonoi Wakasanosuke from the play Chushingura (Treasury of the Forty-seven Loyal Retainers) 1790-1800 Japan. Color woodblock print; koban . Katsukawa Shun'ei

The Third Segawa Sojuro and the Third Segawa Kikunojo as Lovers ca. 1779 Katsukawa Shunkō Japanese. The Third Segawa Sojuro and the Third Segawa Kikunojo as Lovers 36755

Elegantly dressed man and woman, seated on cushion, looking at woman bent over koto (Japanese stringed instrument), in background view of a garden with stone lantern and blossoming trees, at night. Representation enclosed by brown border in which Genji emblems., Chapter 53 Faithful Depictions of the Splendid Prince (series title) Sono sugata Hikaru no utsushi-e (series title on object), print maker: Kunisada (I), Utagawa, (mentioned on object), Kinugasa Fusajiro, (mentioned on object), Murata Heiemon, (mentioned on object), print maker: Japan, Tokyo, Tokyo, publisher: Tokyo, 1852, paper, colour woodcut, h 265 mm × w 384 mm

Jûgatsu, the tenth month, Anonymous, 1835 - 1845 print A man in a bright blue Kimono takes his cozy from behind. The evening air is visible through the window. The many papers - Hanagami - on the ground testify to repeated sexual activity. paper color woodcut coitus, cohabiting, sexual intercourse. the twelve months of the year represented by concepts other than personifications, human activities, landscapes, or still lifes of flowers and/or fruits

An Actor Playing Otsuji the Wet-Nurse, Kunisada, Utagawa, 1835

Scene from an Unidentified Drama ca. 1800 Utagawa Toyokuni I Japanese. Scene from an Unidentified Drama 56997

Murasaki Shikibu 1779-1789 Japan. The famous author of the ìGenji Monogatariî is depicted seated on the engawa of one of the buildings of Ishiyama. Buddhist temple on a rocky hillside overlooking Lake Biwa where she is said to have written that classic romance. Writing materials are upon a low tabl e before her and she holds a brush in her hand.. Color woodblock print; oban . Torii Kiyonaga

To-no Sawa (Name of one of the hot springs at Hakone) ca. 1779 Torii Kiyonaga Japanese. To-no Sawa (Name of one of the hot springs at Hakone). Torii Kiyonaga (Japanese, 1752-1815). Japan. ca. 1779. Woodblock print; ink and color on paper. Edo period (1615-1868). Prints

GRABADO JAPONES. Location: PRIVATE COLLECTION. France.

Warming the feet at a Kotatsu, 1730, Woodcuts

Nishigori Takekiyo Painting. Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (Japan, 1839-1892). Japan, 1887, July. Prints; woodblocks. Color woodblock print

Sugawara of the Tsuruya with Attendants Mumeno and Takeno. Chobunsai Eishi; Japanese, 1756-1829. Date: 1782-1792. Dimensions: 38.4 x 25.8 cm (15 1/8 x 9 3/4 in.). Color woodblock print; oban. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA. Author: Chobunsai Eishi.

A Modern Version of Ushiwakamaru Serenading Princess Joruri. Torii Kiyonaga; Japanese, 1752-1815. Date: 1780-1790. Dimensions: 39.0 x 26.1 cm (right sheet), 38.5 x 25.4 cm (center sheet), 38.5 x 26.0 cm (left sheet). Color woodblock print; oban triptych. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, USA.

Poem Illustration from a Series of 36. Date/Period: 1853/1863. Woodblock print. Width: 22.5 cm. Height: 26.4 cm (image). Author: Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III).

Kunisada, B, work, Actors Sawamura Sojuro and Onoe Baiko in the play Hime komatsu (Little pine, or games at the beginning of the year), 1850, color woodcut, main class : graphics

Prince Genji, an elegantly dressed woman and a servant, looking at girl with paper in hands, seated on cushion, near stove, through the opened walls view of white blossom against a blue background. Representation enclosed by brown border in which Genji emblems., Chapter 31 Faithful Depictions of the Splendid Prince (series title) Sono sugata Hikaru no utsushi-e (series title on object), print maker: Kunisada (I), Utagawa, (mentioned on object), Kinugasa Fusajiro, (mentioned on object), Murata Heiemon, (mentioned on object), print maker: Japan, Tokyo, Tokyo, publisher: Tokyo, 1851 - 1853, paper, colour woodcut, h 383 mm × w 260 mm

The Salt Dragon (En'ryû zu), 1830, Woodcuts, Surimono

Woman climbing the stairs with a lamp and a box, ca 1825, surimono by Utagawa Sadakage (active from ca 1820 to 1830) from the Gobantsuzuki series, shikishiban format woodcut, 21.2 x 18.3 cm. Japanese civilization, Edo period (1603-1868).

Two Women Isoja Koryusai (1721-1789 Japanese)

The Seven Gods of Good Fortune 1809 Japan. Color woodblock print; chuban, surimono . Katsushika Hokusai

The yYoung man at the a garden gate and a woman waiting on the a porch, from the series: Ise Monogatari Katsukawa, shunsho (1726 1792)

The Returning Sails of the Towel Rack ca. 1766 Suzuki Harunobu Japanese. The Returning Sails of the Towel Rack 36634

Narumi, Katsushika, Hokusai, 1760-1849, artist, 1804., 1 print : woodcut, color ; 11.2 x 16.6 cm., Print shows a woman working with fabric as a child tries to look over her shoulder.

Tokyo, Nishimura Yohachi, Japan, Kiyonaga, Torii, Yoshitsune Serenading Joruri hime, Yoshitsune, far left, plays the flute for his beloved Joruri hime who stands on the veranda with her sleeve over her mouth and watches (far right). In the garden several ladies-in-waiting, two of whom with lantern., print, engraving, triptych, prints, engravings, Japan (collection), height 386 mm, width 261 mm, height 393 mm, height 373 mm, width 150 mm, Japanese, 1752 - 1815-06-28, print maker, printmaker, 1783 - 1787, fourth quarter 18th century, paper, colour woodcut, Publication (Event), Publication, publisher

Daikoku, 1801 - 1825, Woodcuts

Chrysanthemum Dew, from the series Selection ofPerfumes. Artist: Yanagawa Shigenobu II, Japanese, active ca. 1820-60

Monkey (Saru), from the series "Fashionable Twelve Signs of the Zodiac (Furyu juni shi)". Isoda Koryusai; Japanese, 1735-1790. Date: 1768-1780. Dimensions: 25.4 x 18.7 cm (10 x 7 1/4 in.). Color woodblock print; chuban. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, USA.

Picture of a Manchurian of the Qing Court from Nanjing, Admiring a Fan. Artist: Utagawa (Gountei) Sadahide (Japanese, 1807-1878/79). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: Image: 14 1/2 x 10 in. (36.8 x 25.4 cm). Date: 11th month, 1860. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

The Priest Huiyuan, from the series Three Laughters at Children's Playful Spirits Kitagawa Utamaro (Japanese, 1753-1806). , 1802. Color woodblock print on paper, 15 x 10 1/8 in. (38.1 x 25.7 cm). Asian Art 1802

The stopping place Ishibe; Ishibe; The erotic road to the capital. Man and woman holding love in a side street, at a shop.

Young Samurai and Female Attendants Practicing Archery, Half of a Diptych Utagawa Toyokuni I (Japanese, 1769-1825). Young Samurai and Female Attendants Practicing Archery, Half of a Diptych, ca. 1800. Woodblock print, 15 1/8 x 10 in. (38.4 x 25.4 cm). In addition to his celebrated kabuki actor prints, Toyokuni excelled at pictures of beautiful women, incorporating the long, lithe figure type that had come into vogue with the work of Kitagawa Utamaro (1750-1806) and Torii Kiyonaga (1752-1815) in the preceding decades. Archery was a refined activity associated with the samurai warrior class; the man kneeling in the middle is clearly identified as a young samurai with his shaved forelock and hakama pants. Asian Art ca. 1800

Ferry on the river Sumida, 1785 - 1789 print Ferry in which, standing, female temple clerk, sitting, samurai with travel hat after which man with monkey, and squatting, woman in black and white striped kimono; In the background tea houses on the banks of the Sumida. Japan paper color woodcut rowing-boat, canoe, etc.. passengers ~ ship. river Summida-kawa

Kayoi Komachi, from the series "Seven Elegant Episodes of the Poet Komachi" (Fūryū nanakomachi kayoi) Chōbunsai Eishi Japanese ca. 1795 The subject of "Kayoi Komachi," inscribed in the upper right corner of this print, refers to a tragic story from a classical Noh play. Ono no Komachi, a tenth-century poetess, promises to meet her ardent suitor Fukakusa Shōjō if he agrees to spend a hundred nights on the steps of a courtly oxcart. After ninety-nine nights, he dies. This print is a play on the popular story; the beauty, dressed in a contemporary robe and holding an umbrella, may be on her way to see a lover on a snowy day. Born of a samurai family, the artist first studied under the Kano school, and the Tokugawa shogun Ieharu gave him the artistic name Eishi.

Buying Potted Plants, from the series A Brocade of Eastern Manners (Fuzoku Azuma no nishiki) 1778-1789 Japan. Color woodblock print; oban . Torii Kiyonaga

Young girl dancing at nobleman's mansion 1805 Japan. Color woodblock print; nagaban, surimono . Katsushika Hokusai

Ota Yazaemon and His Son Fusajirō Sever and Exchange Fingers before the Son Departs for War. Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (Japan, 1839-1892). Japan, 1875, April. Prints; woodblocks. Color woodblock print

France Utagawa Yoshikazu Japanese. France 55537

The Actors Nakamura Riko I as Tanbaya Otsuma and Ichikawa Yaozo III as Furuteya Hachirobei, in the joruri "Sakamachi Yoi no Yotsutsuji," performed at the Nakamura Theater in the third month, 1785. Torii Kiyonaga; Japanese, 1752-1815. Date: 1785. Dimensions: 38.5 x 25.9 cm. Color woodblock print; oban. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, USA.

Scene in the water bath Katsushika, hokusai (1760 1849)

Japan, Nakanuki, Morinoya, Atonari, Hankotei, Gakutei, Yashima, Suikoden gokô shôgun, The five fearless generals of the Suikoden, Rinchu - Sono san, The Chinese general Lin Ch'ung (Tenyûsei Hyôshitô Rinchû), passe-partout, lower left - printed, The Chinese general Lin Ch'ung, sitting in chair with hood, sword in hand. The Stories from the Waterfront (Suikoden) are about a brave Chinese warrior. The third sheet (from left to right) of a pentaptych. With two poems., surimono, prints, Japan (collection), verso - stamped, height 199 mm, width 187 mm, Japanese, 1786 - 1868, print maker, printmaker, 1827 - 1827, second quarter 19th century, paper, colour woodcut, blind stamping, poet

Okawabata yuryo, Cooling off near the river bank., Torii, Kiyonaga, 1752-1815, artist, 1785, printed later, 1 print : woodcut, color., Print shows three women, two standing and one sitting on a bench next to the Sumida(?) River, enjoying the cool evening air.

The Actors Sanogawa Ichimatsu I as Minamoto no Yorimasa and Segawa Kikujiro I as Nobutsura's wife Karumo in the play "Shusse Momijigari," performed at the Ichimura Theater in the eleventh month, 1747. Torii Kiyonobu II; Japanese, active c. 1725-61. Date: 1747. Dimensions: 29.7 x 14.2 cm (11 11/16 x 5 9/16 in.). Color woodblock print; hosoban, benizuri-e. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Returning Sails of the Towel Rack (Tenugui-kake no kihan), from the series "Eight Views of the Parlor (Zashiki hakkei)". Suzuki Harunobu ; Japanese, 1725 ()-1770. Date: 1761-1771. Dimensions: 28.7 x 21.4 cm (11 1/4 x 8 1/2 in.). Color woodblock print; chuban, surimono. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, USA.

Kitagawa Utamaro (ca. 1753 - October 31, 1806) was a Japanese printmaker and painter, who is considered one of the greatest artists of woodblock prints (ukiyo-e). He is known especially for his masterfully composed studies of women, known as bijinga. He also produced nature studies, particularly illustrated books of insects.

Parody of Kawachi-goe from "Tales of Ise". Attributed to Suzuki Harunobu ; Japanese, 1725 ()-1770. Date: 1765. Dimensions: 28.2 x 20.7 cm (11 1/8 x 8 3/8 in.). Color woodblock print; left sheet of chuban diptych (right sheet: 1925.2026). Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, USA.

Slave trader captures Umewakamaru; poem by monk Sosei; print 21 from the series: Ogura nazorae hyakunin isshu (Imitations of one hundred poems by one hundred poets). Utagawa, Hiroshige I (1797-1858), graphic artist

Shirasuka, Katsushika, Hokusai, 1760-1849, artist, 1804., 1 print : woodcut, color ; 11.6 x 16.5 cm., Print shows a man and a woman in domestic setting with bowl of fabric or clay.

Kuwana, from the series "Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido (Gojusan tsugi)," also known as the Figure Tokaido (Jinbutsu Tokaido). Utagawa Hiroshige ; Japanese, 1797-1858. Date: 1852. Dimensions: 25.4 x 18.1 cm (10 x 7 1/8 in.). Color woodblock print; chuban. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, USA.

Courtesans of Yotsumaya, from the book "Mirror of Beautiful Women of the Pleasure Quarters (Seiro bijin awase sugata kagami)," vol. 2. Katsukawa Shunsho; Japanese, 1726-1792; Kitao Shigemasa; Japanese, 1739-1820. Date: 1776. Dimensions: 8 7/8 x 11 7/8 in. Color woodblock print; double-page illustration cut from a book. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Adachi, from the series Pictures of No Performances (Nogaku Zue) 1893-1903 Japan. Color woodblock print . Tsukioka Kôgyo

The Actor Segawa Kikunojo III as the Dragon Maiden Disguised as Osaku in the Play Sayo no Nakayama Hiiki no Tsurigane, Performed at the Nakamura Theater in the Eleventh Month, 1790. Katsukawa Shun'ei; Japanese, 1762-1819. Date: 1785-1795. Dimensions: 32 x 14.2 cm (12 5/8 x 5 9/16 in.). Color woodblock print; hosoban. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Young husband and wife company De Love, c. 1789 - c. 1790 print Naked man and half-decided woman with closed eyes, companies the love on a black and white checkered rug. paper color woodcut coitus, cohabiting, sexual intercourse

Kusu no Tsuyu, from the series Pictures of No Performances (Nogaku Zue) 1893-1903 Japan. Color woodblock print . Tsukioka Kôgyo

Viewing Cherry Blossoms from a Teahouse on Asuka Hill. Chobunsai Eishi; Japanese, 1756-1829. Date: 1784-1795. Dimensions: 50.8 x 71 cm (20 x 27 15/16 in.). Woodblock prints; 2 right sheets of oban triptych, keyblock and color impressions. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA. Author: Chobunsai Eishi.

Tokugawa Ieyasu and Tokugawa Hidetada Artist Unknown (Japanese) Woodblock print Culver Pictures Inc.

Matsuchiyama no yukimi, Viewing snow at Mount Matchi., Torii, Kiyonaga, 1752-1815, artist, 1784, printed later, 1 print : woodcut, color., Print shows a man and two women standing in the snow outside a shrine, one woman carries an offering.

A owner with a student. The man touches the woman's vagina. A black range behind them. A background of gold powder.

SnowFight. Artist: Utagawa Kunisada, Japanese, 1786-1865

Asazuma-bune, Fan-seller, and Poetic Epithets, 1793, Kitagawa Utamaro; Publisher: Tsuruya Kiemon, Japanese, 1753 - 1806, 15 1/8 × 10 1/8 in. (38.4 × 25.7 cm) (image, sheet, ōban)23 × 19 × 1 1/2 in. (58.42 × 48.26 × 3.81 cm) (outer frame), Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper with mica, Japan, 18th century

Preparations for the doll festival, Various women, in the rooms of a large house, preparing for the doll festival, through open doors a view of the garden with flowering trees., Katsukawa Shuncho (mentioned on object), 1785 - 1800, paper, colour woodcut, h 384 mm × w 251 mm × h 384 mm × w 255 mm × h 388 mm × w 254 mm

Wives of Merchants, first half 19th century, attr. Yamaguchi Soken, Japanese, 1759 - 1818, 70 1/4 × 36 5/8 in. (178.44 × 93.03 cm) (image)86 3/4 × 42 3/8 in. (220.35 × 107.63 cm) (mount), Ink and color on paper, Japan, Nikuhitsu ukiyo-e, In the Edo period, the material and design of kimono were strictly regulated by the government along class lines, such that class and occupation were identifiable by costumes and hairstyles. Here (from left to right) are ladies of the warrior class, wives of merchants, young maidens, working girls, and women in the demimonde. Sokens extraordinary brush control and use of pigments can be seen in the delicate hairlines and the texture of complexions and make-up. The son of a kimono merchant, he depicted magnificent kimono with delicate folds suggesting the body under the fabric.

Young Warrior and his Attendant, c. 1770-1775, Isoda Koryūsai, Japanese, 1735 - 1790 , 9 3/4 x 7 3/8 in. (24.8 x 18.8 cm) (image, sheet), Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper, Japan, 18th century

fine arts, Japan, graphic, ""Lady in kimono on patio looking at scroll-painiting with samurai"", woodcut, 35.5 x 24 cm, anonymous, early 19th century,

Judanme, Act ten of the Chushingura., Kitagawa, Utamaro, 1753?-1806, artist, between 1799 and 1801, 1 print : woodcut, color ; 34.1 x 23 cm., Print shows a woman watching two children play with puppets, reenacting the revenge of the 47 Ronin.

Poultry Market (Le Marché aux Volailles), c. 1900. Richard Ranft (Swiss, 1862-1931). Color etching (color applied a la poupée);

Ten Wise Men Among the Disciples of Confucious. Artist: Yashima Gakutei (Japanese, 1786-1868). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: 8 1/4 x 7 5/16 in. (21 x 18.6 cm). Date: 19th century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Seiro niwaka onna geisha no bu Asazumabune Ogiuri Uta..... 1788-1798 Japan. Color woodblock print; oban . Kitagawa Utamaro

Japan, Katsumi, Sawanoya, Kamehito, Seikaitei, Gakutei, Yashima, Hisakataya Nakanochô, The Nakanochô for the Hisakataya Poetry Society, Ichi - Toshidama no Ôgiya uchi Suehiro, Number One: Suehiro's Jewels from the Ôgiya, passe-partout, lower left - printed, Suehiro, a high-ranking courtesan from the Ogiya house, walks with two maids (kamuro) past the New Year's decorations in Nakanochô, the main street of the Yoshiwara, the pleasure quarter of Edo (present-day Tokyo). With two poems. This is the right sheet of a pentaptych, depicting high-ranking courtesans (oiran) from the various houses of the Yoshiwara., surimono, prints, Japan (collection), verso - stamped, height 209 mm, width 185 mm, Japanese, 1786 - 1868, print maker, printmaker, 1827 - 1827, second quarter 19th century, paper, colour woodcut, blind stamping, poet

Tetsukuri no Tamagawa on the Musashino Plain ca. 1800 Utagawa Toyokuni I Japanese This triptych has an eye-catching composition featuring beautiful women. Two figures in dark kimonos with kasuri patterns are particularly striking. The subject matter of Six Jewel Rivers, known as Mu-Tamagawa, was inspired by classical waka poems and became popular in the pictorial tradition during the Edo period. The depiction of one of the Six Jewel Rivers, Tetsukuri no Tamagawa in Chfu, west of Tokyo, usually includes the beating, rinsing, and drying of clothes. In Toyokuni's print, six women are arranged in the foreground with a sense of lateral rhythmic movement.. Tetsukuri no Tamagawa on the Musashino Plain. Utagawa Toyokuni I (Japanese, 1769-1825). Japan. ca. 1800. Triptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper. Edo period (1615-1868). Prints

Ogiyauchi tsukasa, The courtesan Tsukasa of Ogiya., Kitagawa, Utamaro, 1753-1806, artist, [between 1804 and 1806, 1 print : woodcut, color ; 39.2 x 26.2 cm., Print shows Tsukasa, a courtesan at Ogiya, with a female attendant bringing her tea.

Futon no naka no yujo to kyaku, Suzuki, Harunobu, 1725-1770., [between 1767 and 1770, 1 print : woodcut, color ; 20.8 x 28.3 cm., Print shows a screen enclosing a man with a courtesan on a bed.

Double-page Illustration from Vol 2 of Picture Book of Spring Brocades (Ehon haru no nishiki) 1771 Japan. Color woodblock print; double-page illustration from book . Suzuki Harunobu

uncatalogued

Illustration of English People (Igirisujin no zu). Artist: Ichiryusai Yoshitoyo (Japanese, 1830-1866). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: Image: 13 7/8 x 9 5/8 in. (35.2 x 24.4 cm). Date: 1st month, 1861. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Love couple in hug, 1800 - 1899 print Almost completely bare the couple is in each other's arms. The man caresses the inside of the labia, while his member is standing upright. paper color woodcut coitus, cohabiting, sexual intercourse

Two women dressing with an attendant in the background., 1768, Woodcuts

Cherry Blossom Viewing Outing Kubo Shunman (Japanese, 1757-1820). Cherry Blossom Viewing Outing, late 18th century. Woodblock color print, .1: 12 9/16 x 8 9/16 in. (32.0 x 21.8 cm). Asian Art late 18th century

Boating party under Ryogoku Bridge, 1788, Woodcuts, One sheet of a triptych, Image 15 x 10 in. (38.1 x 25.4 cm)

Abalone Divers 1792-1803 Japan. Color woodblock prints; oban triptych . Kitagawa Utamaro

A triptych of girls washing and stretching cloth under the trees. Utagawa Toyokuni (1769ñ1825). Woodblock print, oban tate-e. 37.7 x 25.3cm.

Shunga is a Japanese term for erotic art. Most shunga are a type of ukiyo-e, usually executed in woodblock print format. While rare, there are extant erotic painted handscrolls which predate the Ukiyo-e movement. Translated literally, the Japanese word shunga means picture of spring; 'spring' is a common euphemism for sex. The ukiyo-e movement as a whole sought to express an idealisation of contemporary urban life and appeal to the new chi nin class. Following the aesthetics of everyday life, Edo period shunga varied widely in its depictions of sexuality. As a subset of ukiyo-e it was enjoyed by all social groups in the Edo period, despite being out of favour with the shogunate. Suzuki Harunobu (1724 July 7, 1770) was a Japanese woodblock print artist, one of the most famous in the Ukiyo-e style. He was an innovator, the first to produce full-color prints (nishiki-e) in 1765, rendering obsolete the former modes of two- and three-color prints. Harunobu used many special techniques, and

The Actors Segawa Kikunojo III as Princess Hatsune (Hatsune Hime) (right), and Ichikawa Monnosuke II as Miyukinosuke Yukinari, in the Play Otokoyama Furisode Genji, Performed at the Kiri Theater in the Eleventh Month, 1785. Katsukawa Shunko I; Japanese, 1743-1812. Date: 1780-1790. Dimensions: 38.3 x 25.6 cm (15 1/8 x 10 1/16 in.). Color woodblock print; oban. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Five Musicians (Gonin bayashi). Torii Kiyonaga; Japanese, 1752-1815. Date: 1778-1788. Dimensions: (1) 25.6 x 19.4 cm; (2) 25.7 x 19.4 cm; (3) 25.6 x 19.2 cm; (4) 25.5 x 19.0 cm; (5) 25.6 x 19.4 cm. Color woodblock print; chuban pentaptych. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, USA.

Courtesans Strolling Beneath Cherry Trees Before the Daikokuya Teahouse Kitagawa Utamaro (Japanese, 1753-1806). Courtesans Strolling Beneath Cherry Trees Before the Daikokuya Teahouse, probably 1789. Woodblock print, color on paper, 15 3/8 x 10 3/8 in. (39.1 x 26.4 cm). Kitagawa Utamaro is known primarily for his images of beautiful women. This trio of prints is unusual because the artist names all of his subjects. The extravagantly dressed women are courtesans, indicated by their obi sashes tied at the front. (Women who are not in the sex tradeincluding the geishas who provide non-sexual entertainment at partiestie their obis at the back.) Accompanied by child attendants, they admire the blossoming cherry trees that were transplanted to the entertainment district each spring. The colors in this triptych are remarkably well preserved: the dyes Utamaro used for light blue and lavender are very susceptible to fading and have turned gray in most other examples. Asian Art probably 1789

Genji holds a painted fan: the young woman at the elegant table is about to paint a fan: the older woman holds up a painted screen panel, perhaps providing the girl with a model; everything is elegant and fashionable. Colour woodcut by Kunisada II, 1857.

Tokyo, Yamadaya Sanshiro (Sanrindo), Japan, Toyokuni (II), Utagawa, Toyohiro Toyokuni ryoga juniko, The Twelve Months by Toyohiro and Toyokuni, Yongatsu, sanbukutsui, The Fourth Month, a triptych, Fishmonger, Woman with pipe in right hand, behind whom boy playing with dog and woman with child on back and dish in left hand. The interior of a house in the background., print, prints, Japan (collection), height 378 mm, width 252 mm, Japanese, 1777 - 1835, print maker, printmaker, 1801 - 1801, first quarter 19th century, paper, nishiki-e, colour woodcut, colour woodblock, Publication (Event), Publication, publisher, publisher" Tokyo, crouching, cutting open a fish, looking at woman on high geta holding a dish, watched by woman with tray in left hand and kettle in right; interior of house in the background.

Xiwangmu (Japanese Seiobo), Queen of the Mother of the West, Taoist goddess inhabited by Rajsk lands on the mountain of Kunlun, standing with a flourishing tree of the peach and a peach fruit on the tray; Urakusai, Nagahide (Fl. Ca 1805-1848); around 1806 (1806-00-00-1807-00-00);Koreywo, Olgierd (1909-1977) - collection, peaches (iconogr.), Dar (provenance), woodcuts, Hodowan, Minzoku, Japanese art

A Chinese sage, in conversation with a traveller on the road. Gouache by a Chinese artist, ca. 1850.

Actors Ichikawa Sadanji I, Nakamura Juzaburo, Onoe Kikunosuke, Iwai Komurasaki III, and Onoe Kikugoro V Toyohara Kunichika (Japanese, 1835-1900). Actors Ichikawa Sadanji I, Nakamura Juzaburo, Onoe Kikunosuke, Iwai Komurasaki III, and Onoe Kikugoro V, 1879. Color woodblock print, 14 3/8 x 19 5/8 in. (36.5 x 49.8 cm). Asian Art 1879

Hanami, Viewing cherry blossoms., Torii, Kiyonaga, 1752-1815, artist, between 1785 and 1789, 1 print : woodcut, color ; 25.4 x 18.4 cm., Print shows two women and a young female student or attendant at the Yoshiwara looking at cherry blossoms.

Foreigner Caring for Her Children (Gaikokujin kodomo choai no zu) 1860 Japan. Color woodblock print; oban . Utagawa Yoshikazu

Couple in an Evening Shower, From the series Three Evening Pleasures of the Floating World ca. 1800 Kitagawa Utamaro Japanese The title of the series reveals that it parodies three evening scenes from the early-thirteenth-century anthology Shinkokin wakash. The scenes are of sunset, the cool of twilight, and an evening rain. This image displays an appreciation of ordinary aspects of daily life, capturing the moment that the couple sets out in the rain, he tucks up his robe, and she prepares to open her umbrella.Utamaro, a prolific ukiyo-e artist, was fascinated by themes of daily life as well as by beautiful women.. Couple in an Evening Shower, From the series Three Evening Pleasures of the Floating World. Kitagawa Utamaro (Japanese, ca. 1754-1806). Japan. ca. 1800. Woodblock print; ink and color on paper. Edo period (1615-1868). Prints

Flowers of a Hundred Worlds (Momoyogusa): Six Poetic Immortals (Rokkasen), 1909. Kamisaka Sekka (Japanese, 1866-1942). Ink and color on paper; Kamisaka Sekka made preparatory drawings for his Flowers of a Hundred Worlds series on tracing paper with ink and color. The freehand sketches are much looser than the finished, printed compositions.

. A few has made love. The man drinks force to continue.

Illustration from 'Princess Badoura: A Tale from the Arabian Nights' depicting the Princess embracing her mother. Illustrated by Edmund Dulac (1882-1953), a French British naturalised magazine and book illustrator.

Banquet at a Foreign Merchant House in Yokohama (Yokohama ijin shoka shuen no zu) 1861 Japan. Color woodblock print; oban . Utagawa Sadahide

China: Detail from 'Han Xizai (902-970) Gives a Banquet', version by Ming Dynasty painter Tang Yin (1470-1524)

Okama Standing standing Okama and the phantom of a fox KITAGAWA, UTAMARO (1753 1806)

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