Traditional Japanese Ukiyo-e Prints

Featuring elegant woodblock prints of actors and courtesans in colorful kimonos and traditional attire, showcasing rich patterns and cultural motifs.

Kunisada, work, Actor Iwai Kumesaburo in the play Kanadeho chusingura (Faithful vassals), 1830, color woodblock print, graphics

The actor Segawa Kikunojo in the role of a woman with a hat and a broom Kunisada, UTAGAWA (1786 1864)

A Courtesan of the Chigiri House in Furuichi, Ise province, from the series Comparisons of Representative Customs. Date: 1812-1814. Dimensions: 38.1 cm x 25.8 cm. Museum: Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam. Author: Kikugawa Eizan.

Kunisada, work, Actor Iwai Kumesaburo in the play Kanadeho chusingura (Faithful vassals), 1830, color woodblock print, graphics

Gravepost, from the series Fashionable Parody of the Seven Komachi. Date: 1843-1847, Edo. Museum: PRIVATE COLLECTION. Author: UTAGAWA KUNISADA.

The actor Ichikawa Kuzo in the role of Osana Daimyo, a woman who behaves IIke Daimyo Kunisada, UTAGAWA (1786 1864)

Acteur Met Rode Banier En Sandalen, Utagawa Kunisada (i), 1847 print Man with two swords and a red banner on which the sun and the moon are depicted in the night. This is a scene from the Kabuki play 'Motomishi Hana Otogi Heike' where actor Ichimura Uzaemon XII is here in the role of Tada Yukitsuna. Second leaf from the left of a four -part. paper color woodcut actor (on the stage). drawing, pulling something

The actor Sawamura Sojuro V as Tsubone Iwafuji. Utagawa Kunisada I (Toyokuni III); Japanese, 1786-1864. Date: 1847. Dimensions: 14 x 9 3/4 in. Color woodblock print; right sheet of oban triptych (center: 1939.1034a). Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Asahina Saburô. The actor Seki Sanjûrô II (1786-1839) in the role of Asahina Saburô in the play about the soga brothers. Saburô was a vassal from Kudô Suketsune who surprised the enemy, the soga brothers. With two poems. The third print (VRNL) from a five-hatch.

The Actor Ichikawa Yaozo II, from "A Picture Book of Stage Fans (Ehon butai ogi)". Ippitsusai Buncho; Japanese, active c. 1755-90. Date: 1770. Dimensions: 9 5/8 x 6 in. Color woodblock print; page from illustrated book. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

The actor Iwai Kumesaburo II as the courtesan Katsuragi in the play Oichiza Soga no Shimadai, performed at the Kawarazaki Theater in the first month, 1827 1827 Japan. Color woodblock print; center sheet of shikishiban triptych, surimono . Utagawa Kunisada I (Toyokuni III)

Memorial portrait of the actor Ichimura Takenojo V 1851 Japan. Color woodblock print; oban . Utagawa Kuniyoshi

Lady holding toy boat, 1770, Woodcuts, Page from book

The Actor Ichikawa Danjuro V as Kudo Suketsune in the Play Kaido Ichi Yawaragi Soga, Performed at the Nakamura Theater in the First Month, 1778 1773-1783 Japan. Color woodblock print; hosoban . Katsukawa Shunsho

The actor Sawamura Tozo as Kajiwara Heiji Kagetaka 1796-1823 Japan. Color woodblock print; oban . Utagawa (Ichiosai) Kunimitsu I

Yamashita Kyonosuke as Ono no Komachi. Artist Unknown; Japanese. Date: 1763-1773. Dimensions: 31.0 x 14.1 cm. Color woodblock print; hosoban. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

The Flute (Hichiriki), from the series "Fashionable Musical Amusements of Children (Furyu kodomo asobi ongaku)". Isoda Koryusai; Japanese, 1735-1790. Date: 1765-1777. Dimensions: 9 3/4 x 7 1/4 in. Color woodblock print; chuban. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, USA.

Hour of the Hare 6am (U no koku), from the series "The Twelve Hours in Yoshiwara" ("Seiro juni toki tsuzuki"). Kitagawa Utamaro ; Japanese, 1753 ()-1806. Date: 1789-1799. Dimensions: 37.5 x 24.4 cm. Color woodblock print; oban. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, USA.

Colored woodcut by Utagawa Toyokuni II showing a lady with books, executed in traditional Japanese style.

Collection of Cherry Trees. Utagawa Kunimori II (Japan, 1830-1874). Japan, early 1840s. Prints; woodblocks. Color woodblock print

Reigning Beauty: Hanozuma, Japanese Prints - Utamaro

The Actor Segawa Kikunojo III as Miura no Katagai Disuigsed as the Nun Narukami, in the Play Ume-goyomi Akebono Soga, Performed at the Ichimura Theater in the Second Month, 1780. Katsukawa Shunsho ; Japanese, 1726-1792. Date: 1775-1785. Dimensions: 32.6 x 14.7 cm (12 13/16 x 5 13/16 in.). Color woodblock print; hosoban; center sheet of triptych. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, USA.

Kazusa akushichihibyôe kagekiyo, z will be "Stu poetow spoRód literackich bohaterów naszego kraju" (honchɛÔ bun'yiû Hyakunin isshu)

Benkei Holding a Handscroll, Utagawa Kuniyoshi, 1849 print Musashibô Benkei, played here by Kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjurô VIII, looks aside while holding a writrol in his hands, to prevent Togashi from seeing the Schrifrol is empty. paper color woodcut portrait of actor, actress. scroll

Young Woman Playing the Flute by a Bridge. Artist: Kubo Shunman (Japanese, 1757-1820) (). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: 8 1/8 x 5 5/16 in. (20.6 x 13.5 cm). Date: 19th century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

The Actor Nakamura Noshio II as Tonase, in the Bridal Journey Scene, Act Eight of the Play Kanadehon Chushingura (Model for Kana Calligraphy Treasury of the Forty-seven Royal Retainers), Performed at the Miyako Theater from the Fifth Day of the Fourth Month, 1795 1790-1800 Japan. Color woodblock print; oban . Katsukawa Shun'ei

The Actor Onoe Eisaburo in the Role of Ohana, Girl of the Eiraku Teahouse, left sheet of a triptych. Date: 1820-1829. Dimensions: 38 cm x 26 cm. Museum: Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam. Author: UTAGAWA KUNISADA.

The Actor Nakamura Nakazo I as the Yakko Nakahei Disguised as Miura Arajiro () from the Play Ise Heishi Eigo no Koyomi (), Performed at the Ichimura Theater () in the Eleventh Month, 1782 (). Katsukawa Shunko I; Japanese, 1743-1812. Date: 1777-1787. Dimensions: 32.6 x 15.1 cm (12 13/16 x 5 15/16 in.). Color woodblock print; hosoban. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

It's good to take the first bath Yudonohajimeyoshi (title on object) A series for the Hanazono poetry association (series title) Hanazono bantsuzuki (title on object), A woman with a handkerchief in her mouth, puts on her belt (obi). Behind her is the towel with which she dried herself over a rack. With two poems, one is about the first bath of the new year. The prints from this series are in line with the belief that the first activities of the new year were extra special. The red cartouche on the prints refers to almanacs in which it was indicated which activities could or could not be undertaken on certain days by people born in a certain year., Totoya Hokkei (mentioned on object), Japan, c. 1822, paper, colour woodcut, h 204 mm × w 176 mm

The First Nakamura Nakazo as a Komuso Standing in the Snow by a Fence ca. 1775 Katsukawa Shunshō　川春章 Japanese. The First Nakamura Nakazo as a Komuso Standing in the Snow by a Fence 36916

The beautiful Hanashi from the Tamano ya bawdy house, from the series: From the representations of beautiful women /Bijin awase Kunisada, UTAGAWA (1786 1864)

Ichikawa Danjûrô VII and Segawa Kikunojô V in the Shibaraku play. The actor Ichikawa Danjûrô VII (1791-1859) in the role of Sadamitsu and the actor Segawa Kikunojô v (1802-32) in the role of Shôkajo, from the play shibaraku that was performed in 1818 in the Tamagawa Theater in Edo, in memory of the 13th death year of the actor Ichikaiwa Danjûrô v (1741-1806). With two poems, including one of Danjûrô itself.

Artist: Kitagawa Utamaro, Japanese, 1753-1806, The BeautyOhisa, mid-1790s, Polychrome woodblock print; silver mica residue in background, sheet: 14 1/2 × 9 15/16 in. (36.8 × 25.2cm), Japan, Japanese, Edo period(1615-1868), Works on Paper -Prints

The Actor Ichimura Uzaemon IX as the Potter Tsuchihei in the Play Higashiyama Momiji no Kadode, Performed at the Ichimura Theater in the Ninth Month, 1778. Katsukawa Shunsho ; Japanese, 1726-1792. Date: 1773-1783. Dimensions: 32.6 x 15.4 cm (12 13/16 x 6 1/16 in.). Color woodblock print; hosoban. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, USA.

The Courtesan Tsukioka of Hyogoya Rolling a Letter (from the series A Selection of Six Authors in the Green Houses), late 1790s. Kitagawa Utamaro (Japanese, 1753-1806). Color woodblock print; sheet: 36.9 x 23.8 cm (14 1/2 x 9 3/8 in.).

The Poet Bunya no Yasuhide, from the series Six Immortal Poets (Rokkasen). Katsushika Hokusai ; Japanese, 1760-1849. Date: 1805-1815. Dimensions: Approx. 38 x 26 cm. Color woodblock print; oban. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, USA.

Portrait of the actor Iwai Hanshiro, in the role of a women

Bentmen and Ebis under the umbrella; Utagawa, Toyohiro (1773-1828); Kon. XIX century (1891-00-00-1900-00-00);Bentmen, Ebisu, Mokrzycki, Ryszard - collection, Japanese art, ukiyo -e, purchase (provenance)

Fancy-free Type, 1792-1793, Kitagawa Utamaro; Publisher: Tsutaya Jūzaburō, Japanese, 1753 - 1806, 14 15/16 × 9 3/4 in. (38 × 24.8 cm) (image, sheet, vertical 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, After producing a few successful books, Utamaro and the publisher Tsutaya launched an innovative type of bijin-ga (pictures of beautiful women) series. It was the first to feature women in half-length portraits, a format previously reserved for yakusha-e (actor prints). It was also the first attempt by an ukiyo-e artist to represent the individuality of women. Except for the most famous prostitutes, print designers tended to depict women as stereotypes of femininity. Utamaros close-up portraits straightforwardly captured the facial expressions of his models, vividly evoking their personalities despite their anonymity. The woman shown here is identified on the print as the 'fickle ty

Woman Holding up a Piece of Fabric (Nuno o kazasu onna). Kitagawa Utamaro ; Japanese, 1753 ()-1806. Date: 1790-1801. Dimensions: 37.5 x 25.5 cm (9 7/8 x 14 7/8 in.). Color woodblock print; oban. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

A Standing Man Grasping His Sword, 1825 print The actor Bandô Mitsugorô III (1775-1832), seen from the front, the hands on the hilt of his sword. Plevieren on the clothing refer to the year of the Vogel 1825 and are associated with water. The diamond -shaped weapon (mon) is from the actor. paper color woodcut portrait of actor, actress. hacking and thrusting weapons: sword

Courtesan of the Chikiriya in Furuichi, Ise Province, from the series Comparison of Proverbs and Customs (Tatoegusa fuzoku awase) 1809-1819 Japan. Color woodblock print; oban . Kikukawa Eizan

Onoe kikugoro to umebachi, The actor Onoe Kikugoro and a potted plum tree., Utagawa, Kuniyasu, 1794-1832, artist, between 1818 and 1830, 1 print : woodcut, color ; 20.2 x 17.6 cm.

Actor Nakamura Kumetarō I. Katsukawa Shunshō (Japan, 1726-1792). Japan, mid-1770s. Prints; woodblocks. Color woodblock print, hosoban format

Ichikawa Monosuke III in the Role of the Otokodate Sukeroku ca. 1786 Katsukawa Shunk Japanese. Ichikawa Monosuke III in the Role of the Otokodate Sukeroku. Katsukawa Shunk (Japanese, 1743-1812). Japan. ca. 1786. Woodblock print; ink and color on paper. Edo period (1615-1868). Prints

Japan, Kawaguchiya Uhei, Kunisada (I), Utagawa, Oatari kyogen no uchi, From very successful plays, Yaoya Oshichi, Iwai Hanshiro V in the role of Yaoya Oshichi, under print - stamped, Bust portrait of the actor Iwai Hanshiro V in the role of Yaoaya Oshichi, the greengrocer's daughter, in a pink kimono with a plum blossom pattern; against mica background., print, prints, Japan (collection), height 372 mm, width 255 mm, Japanese, 1786 - 1865, print maker, printmaker, 1812 - 1816, first quarter 19th century, paper, papier, mica, nishiki-e, color woodcut, Publication (Event), Publication, publisher

It's good to cut your nails; Tsumetoriyoshi; A series for the Hanazone poets association; Hanazono bantsuzuki. A seated woman with scissors in the right hand, her nails clipping. For her a bowl of spices on a red painted tray. With two poems. The prints from this series are in line with the belief that the first activities of the new year were extra special. The red cartouche on the prints refers to almanacs that indicated which activities did not or better not to be taken on certain days by people born in a given year.

Nakamura Nakazo II as Prince Koretaka disguised as the farmer Tsuchizo in the play "Intercalary Year Praise of a Famous Poem (Uruo Toshi Meika no Homare)," performed at the Miyako Theater in the eleventh month, 1794. Toshusai Sharaku ; Japanese, active 1794-95. Date: 1790-1800. Dimensions: 31.7 x 21.7 cm. Color woodblock print, oban. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Woman Holding up a Piece of Fabric (Nuno o kazasu onna) 1790-1801 Japan. Color woodblock print; oban . Kitagawa Utamaro

Saruwakamachi Street, from the series Famous Places of Edo. Date: c. 1865. Dimensions: 37 cm x 26 cm. Museum: Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam. Author: Utagawa Sadakoma.

The Actor Ichikawa Omezo I. Katsukawa Shun'ei; Japanese, 1762-1819. Date: 1790-1799. Dimensions: 32.5 x 14.5 cm (12 13/16 x 5 11/16 in.). Color woodblock print; right sheet of hosoban diptych (left: 1939.1806). Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

The Actor Onoye Matsusuke I, as a Man Holding a Closed Fan in His Right Hand. Artist: Katsukawa Shun'ei (Japanese, 1762-1819). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: H. 12 in. (30.5 cm); W. 5 in. (12.7 cm). Date: ca. 1780. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Page from a book featuring woodcuts titled 'Nanaginu,' created in 1770

The Actor Bando Mitsugoro I as Taira no Tadamori Disguised as a Potted-Plant Seller in the Play Sakuya Kono Hana no Kaomise, Performed at the Nakamura Theater in the Eleventh Month, 1776. Katsukawa Shunsho ; Japanese, 1726-1792. Date: 1771-1781. Dimensions: 31.7 x 14.4 cm (12 1/2 x 5 11/16 in.). Color woodblock print; hosoban. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, USA.

The actor Sawamura Tosshō i in the piece of Gohenge. Donation Gerhard Schack

A woodcut illustration of a lady playing a shell game, facing left., 1770., Page from book

The Actor Segawa ROKO IN THE ROLE OF SAKURAGI SEIKON Utagawa, toyokuni (1769 1825)

Keisei Ichikawa Denzo. Artist: Utagawa Toyokuni I (Japanese, 1769-1825). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: 16 1/4 x 11 1/8 in. (41.3 x 28.3 cm). Date: ca. 1797-1800. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

The actor Ichikawa Danjūrō VII as Matsuōmaru. Donation Gerhard Schack

The Actor Iwai Hanshiro IV, from A Picture Book of Stage Fans (Ehon butai ogi) 1770 Japan. Color woodblock print; page from illustrated book . Katsukawa Shunsho

Tōsei fū | Library of Congress

Woman with a sake-ketle; The four loyal vassals for the Katsushika poets' association; Katsushika Shitennô. The actor Iwai Hanshirô vi (1799-1836) in the role of Ayaori, the woman of Teikô. In her hands she has a kettle filled with spiced rice wine (Tososake), which is drinking with New Year. With three poems.

The actor Segawa Kikunojo in the role of a woman with a samisen Kunisada, UTAGAWA (1786 1864)

Figure of a Woman. Artist: Totoya Hokkei (Japanese, 1780-1850). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: 8 1/8 x 6 13/16 in. (20.6 x 17.3 cm). Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Portrait of a woman and a print dealer. .

The Actor Sawamura Sojuro III as Nagoya Sanza Motoharu (Sandai-me Sawamura Sojuro no Nagoya Sanza Motoharu) 1789-1799 Japan. Color woodblock print; hosoban, nishiki-e . Tôshûsai Sharaku

Horse Shells (Umagai), from the series "A Selection of Horses (Uma-zukushi)". Katsushika Hokusai ; Japanese, 1760-1849. Date: 1822. Dimensions: 21.3 x 18.6 cm. Color woodblock print; shikishiban, surimono. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

The Actor, Matsumoto Koshiro I 1674-1730 in an Unidentified Role Katsukawa Shunkō Japanese. The Actor, Matsumoto Koshiro I 1674-1730 in an Unidentified Role 56067

Bust portrait of Osagawa Tsuneyo II. Osagawa Tsuneyo (title on object), The actor Osagawa Tsuneyo II in the role of women as the mother of Shigenoi, against dark gray mica background. Scene from the play Koi nyobo Webcake tazuna, performed in the Kawarazaki-za in 1794, Osagawa Tsuneyo II, Toshusai Sharaku (mentioned on object), 1794, paper, colour woodcut, h 371 mm × w 251 mm

Japan, Takekawa Risaburô, Gekkô, Ogata, Bijin hana kurabe, Comparisons between beauties and flowers, Heian court lady, verso - stamped, Woman with loose hair and a fan in her hands., print, prints, Japan (collection), height 350 mm, width 238 mm, Japanese, 1859 - 1920, print maker, printmaker, 1896-02-10 - 1896-02-10, paper, colour woodcut, blind stamp, Publication (Event), Publication, publisher

The Actor Sanogawa Ichimatsu I as Ushiwakamaru in the play "Kiichi Hogen Shinanguruma," performed at the Morita Theater in the eleventh month, 1754. Nishimura Shigenaga; Japanese, 1697 ()-1756. Date: 1754. Dimensions: 31.8 x 15.8 cm (12 1/2 x 6 3/16 in.). Color woodblock print; left sheet of hosoban triptych, benizuri-e. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

The actor Nakamura Shikan IV as Inada Kozo disguised as Yamagata Gyobunosuke 1861 Japan. Color woodblock print; chirimen-e . Utagawa Kunisada I (Toyokuni III)

Memorial Portrait of the Actor Ichikawa Danjuro VIII. Utagawa School; Japanese, 19th century. Date: 1854. Dimensions: . Color woodblock print; oban. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

The Actor Otani Hiroemon III as a Fish Peddler. Artist: Katsukawa Shunsho (Japanese, 1726-1792). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: 12 1/2 x 5 3/4 in. (31.8 x 14.6 cm). Date: 1726-1792. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Okita of the Naniwaya Teahouse ca. 1793 Kitagawa Utamaro Japanese The poem on this print is signed Katsura no Mayuzumi. It leaves implicit the charms of the waitress:Naniwacho chaya ni yasuraide, Naniwazu no na ni ou mono wayuki kai ni ashi no tomaranu hito mo araji na.While relaxing at a teahouse in Naniwacho, No one can fail to stop in hereas they pass by the leggy weeds of Naniwa's straitswhatever his reason for coming.. Okita of the Naniwaya Teahouse 45019

De Dichter Sumiyoshi Myôjin, TOTOYA HOKKEI, C. 1825 A sitting man in court clothing and with a pine branch in his hands. This is the classic poet Sumiyoshi Myôjin, which is honored in the Sumiyoshi Wijk in Osaka. With one poem. Japan paper color woodcut

No 3 Zhang Fei (Sono san Chohi), from the series Three Heroes of Shu (Shoku sanketsu) 1819-1829 Japan. Color woodblock print; shikishiban, surimono . Yashima Gakutei

Actor Onoe Kikugorō III as Sugawara Michizane Ukiyo Shigekatsu (Japanese, active ca. 1820). , 1820. Woodblock print with metallic ink, 8 1/2 x 7 1/2 in. (21.6 x 19.1 cm). Asian Art 1820

A Mechanical Doll, Kubota Shunman, c. 1815 - c. 1820 A mechanical doll (Karakuri Ningyô) with movable eyes and mouth, with two dolls of Chinese boys (Karako) in his hands. These kinds of dolls were popular during the EDO period (1600-1868). With two poems. Japan paper color woodcut A mechanical doll (Karakuri Ningyô) with movable eyes and mouth, with two dolls of Chinese boys (Karako) in his hands. These kinds of dolls were popular during the EDO period (1600-1868). With two poems. Japan paper color woodcut

Geisha correcting her coiffure. Katsushika, Hokusai (1760-1849), graphic artist

Bust of the Poet Takarai Kikakuu Kunisada, UTAGAWA (1786 1864)

Oiran () were the courtesans of Edo period Japan. The oiran were considered a type of yujo () 'woman of pleasure' or prostitute. However, they were distinguished from the yujo in that they were entertainers, and many became celebrities of their times outside the pleasure districts. Their art and fashions often set trends among the wealthy and, because of this, cultural aspects of oiran traditions continue to be preserved to this day. The oiran arose in the Edo period (1600-1868). At this time, laws were passed restricting brothels to walled districts set some distance from the city center. In the major cities these were the Shimabara in Kyoto, the Shinmachi in Osaka, and the Yoshiwara in Edo (present-day Tokyo). These rapidly grew into large, self-contained 'pleasure quarters' offering all manner of entertainments. Within, a courtesan’s birth rank held no distinction, which was fortunate considering many of the courtesans originated as the daughters of impoverished families who wer

Ushi no KokuThe Hour of the Ox (1 A.M.-3 A.M.). Artist: Kitagawa Utamaro (Japanese, ca. 1754-1806). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: H. 14 5/8 in. (37.1 cm); W. 9 5/8 in. (24.4 cm). Date: ca. 1794. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Shj dancer in a vermilion robe with a fan. Artist: Ryuntei Wakai, Japanese, active ca. 1820s

The Actor Bando Hikosaburo in the Role of Teraoka Heiemon, left sheet of a triptych. Date: sixth month 1862. Dimensions: 38 cm x 26 cm. Museum: Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam. Author: UTAGAWA KUNISADA.

Segawa Kikunojo III as Oshizu, Wife of Tanabe Bunzo Toshusai Sharaku (Japanese, active 1794-1795). Segawa Kikunojo III as Oshizu, Wife of Tanabe Bunzo, May 1794. Color woodblock print on paper, 14 7/8 x 9 1/4 in. (37.8 x 23.5 cm). This print of the actor Segawa Kikunojo III is one of the most celebrated portraits of the onnagata (male actor in a female role) by the late eighteenth-century artist Toshusai Sharaku. It portrays a character in the Genroku era play Hanaayame Bunroku Soga (The Iris Saga of the Bunroku Era), a drama that retells the true story of the vengeance of ten brothers for their father's assassination in 1701. The play was performed at the Miyako-za theater in the city of Edo in May 1794. The portrait is in the bust-length, close-up format known as okubi-e. Sharaku utilized this format to highlight the expressive talents of the performer and to document the role. The mica ground is a distinctive feature of Sharaku's portraits; the signature and publisher's seal were s

The Actor Iwai Hanshiro IV as Princess Sakura (Sakura Hime) in the Play Wada Sakamori Eiga Kagami, Performed at the Nakamura Theater in the Third Month, 1773. Katsukawa Shunsho ; Japanese, 1726-1792. Date: 1768-1778. Dimensions: 31.3 x 15 cm (12 5/16 x 5 7/8 in.). Color woodblock print; hosoban; right sheet of diptych (). Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, USA.

Artist: Kawamata Tsunemasa, Japanese, active ca. 1716-48, Beauty after theBath, ca.1716-48, Hanging scroll, ink and color and gold on silk, without mounting: 31 7/8 × 10 1/2 in. (81 × 26.6cm), Little is known about the artist Kawamata Tsunemasa, and only about thirty paintings bear his signature, including this scroll. He worked primarily in the Kyoto area and specialized in pictures related to the floating world, or ukiyo-e, a catchphrase for images of urban activities and the lives of courtesans. This work belongs to the category of painting in a danger zone (abuna-e) for its risqué rendering of a partially exposed female body emerging from the bath. The small, delicate hands of the well-coifed lady are engaged in tying a red undergarment around her waist, and the allure of her smooth, pale body is heightened by the subdued background, which includes a folding screen with flowers and astream. , Japan, Japanese, Edo period(1615-1868), Paintings

Scene from the Drama "Matsu wa tai fusuma no wakesato". Artist: Torii Kiyomitsu (Japanese, 1735-1785). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: 12 5/8 x 5 3/4 in. (32.1 x 14.6 cm). Date: 1757 or 1758. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Paper: Fujiwara No Sadaie; Kami-Sadaie; The four comrades of the Ichiyôren writing table; Ichiyôren Bunbô Shiyû. The poet Fujiwara No Sadaie (1162-1241) at a writing table with a number of poetry tickets (shikishi) for yourself. With two poems

Court Lady in Heian Period Dress, sheet of the triptych Washing of Brocade in the Oeyama Mountains. Date: 1860-1867. Dimensions: 37 cm x 25 cm. Museum: Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam. Author: Utagawa Kunisada II.

Oiran (魁) were the courtesans of Edo period Japan. The oiran were considered a type of yūjo (遊女) 'woman of pleasure' or prostitute. However, they were distinguished from the yūjo in that they were entertainers, and many became celebrities of their times outside the pleasure districts. Their art and fashions often set trends among the wealthy and, because of this, cultural aspects of oiran traditions continue to be preserved to this day. The oiran arose in the Edo period (1600-1868). At this time, laws were passed restricting brothels to walled districts set some distance from the city center. In the major cities these were the Shimabara in Kyoto, the Shinmachi in Osaka, and the Yoshiwara in Edo (present-day Tokyo). These rapidly grew into large, self-contained 'pleasure quarters' offering all manner of entertainments. Within, a courtesan’s birth rank held no distinction, which was fortunate considering many of the courtesans originated as the daughters of impoverished families who wer

The Actor Nakamura Sukegoro II as Kaminari Shokuro in the Joruri "Gonin Otoko" (Five Chivalrous Commoners), Played as One Act in the Ayatsuri Kabuki Ogi (Mastery of the Fan in Kabuki), Performed at the Nakamura Theater from the Twentieth Day of the Seventh Month, 1768. Attributed to Katsukawa Shunsho ; Japanese, 1726-1792. Date: 1763-1773. Dimensions: 31 x 14 cm (12 3/16 x 5 1/2 in.). Color woodblock print; hosoban; one sheet of pentaptych. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, USA.

The Actor Sawamura Kamesaburo as Nagoya Kosanza in the play "Keisei Fukubiki Nagoya," performed at the Nakamura Theater in the first month, 1731. Attributed to Okumura Toshinobu; Japanese, active c. 1717-50. Date: 1731. Dimensions: 12 x 5 7/8 in. Hand-colored woodblock print; hosoban, urushi-e. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Egoyomi (Beauty Smoking) Korinsai (Japanese). Egoyomi (Beauty Smoking), 1785-1790. Color woodblock print on paper, sheet: 5 9/16 x 4 1/2 in. (14.2 x 11.5 cm). Asian Art 1785-1790

Nakamura Ayaka LS of LS. Nakamura Baeka (Matsuro V) A LS Your Komachi Non TS K "Rokusen Satsuki's Seiki", Kao Ya Ao R, Jojo 1834

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.

Sayogoromo misa tatejima, Faithful stripes of the night robe., Kikukawa, Eizan, 1787-1867, artist, between 1804 and 1810, 1 print : woodcut, color ; 39.7 x 26.1 cm., Print shows a woman, full-length portrait, seated, facing right, with scroll and brush, writing; also, shows folded striped fabric in upper left corner.

Oiran. Origin: Japan. Period: Edo period. Full color and gold on silk. Date: late 18th-early19th century. Museum: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.

The actor Ichikawa Danjuro IV as Shinozuka Goro Sadatsuna in the play "Ume Momiji Date no Okido," performed at the Ichimura Theater in the eleventh month, 1760. Torii Kiyonobu II; Japanese, active c. 1725-61. Date: 1760. Dimensions: 15 1/2 x 6 3/4 in. Color woodblock print; hosoban, benizuri-e. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

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