Artist: Utagawa Yoshiiku [歌川芳幾], a.k.a. Ochiai Yoshiiku [落合 芳幾] (Japanese, 1833–1904) Signature: Keisai Yoshiiku hitsu [蕙齋芳幾筆]. Dimensions: Fan print (uchiwa-e), 235 × 291 mm Combined date/censor seal: snake, certified (mi/kiwame; 巳/極) for 1869 (Meiji 2) Publisher: Ebiya Rinnosuke [海老屋林之助] (Japanese, fl.c. 1832–1895); publisher’s seal “To, Ebirin” [ト 海𦒳林]
Inscriptions:
– Right: Shinzō Wakanami [新造若浪].
– Left: Shin Yoshiwara, Edomachi itchōme; Hiraizumi rōgaku – Wakamidori [新吉原江戸町一丁目 平泉楼閣 若緑], giving the address, the name of the establishment, and the name of the courtesan.
Description: At left, an oiran (花魁)—a courtesan of the highest rank in the licensed pleasure quarters—is depicted seated and identified by inscription as Wakamidori of the Hiraizumi rōgaku house in Shin Yoshiwara, Edomachi itchōme. She wears a richly patterned kimono and a formal coiffure adorned with numerous kanzashi (簪) hairpins. In her left hand, she holds a small tea caddy (chaire 茶入), while in her right, she holds a tea scoop (chashaku 茶杓), suggesting a tea-related exchange. At right, a shinzō (新造)—a young female attendant and apprentice courtesan—named Wakanami, who holds a tea bowl (chawan 茶碗). The shinzō’s more modest attire and coiffure indicate her subordinate status within the hierarchy of the pleasure quarter. The figures are set before a yatsuhashi (八橋, “Eight Bridges”), a zigzag plank bridge crossing marshland planted with blooming kakitsubata (杜若, irises). This motif, derived from The Tales of Ise (Ise monogatari 伊勢物語), is a long-established symbol of poetic elegance and cultivated taste in Japanese art. Its inclusion here functions as a classical allusion (uta-makura 歌枕), associating the oiran with literary refinement and elite cultural accomplishment. The scene unfolds beneath a softly graded sky.
[Thanks to Horst Graebner of Kunisada Project].
Additional Information
| Collection | Fan print (Uchiwa-e) [団扇絵] , Japanese prints and drawings |
|---|---|
| Type / Purpose | Fan , Woodblock print |
| Period | 19 AD , Meiji era [明治] (1868–1912) , Mid-19th century |
| Country | Japan |
| Media/Technique | Ink and color on paper , Woodblock print (nishiki-e) |
| Size | Aiban yoko-e uchiwa-e , Fan print. Uchiwa-e |
| Genre | Beauty Prints (Bijin-ga, 美人画) |
| Subject | Beautiful woman (bijin-ga) , Courtesans , Fan , Fan print , Iris , Iris and bridge (yatsubashi) , Japanese tea ceremony , Japanese woodblock prints , Meiji Period (1868 – 1912) , Pleasure Quarters , Shin-Yoshiwara , Uchiwa-e , Women , Yatsuhashi [八橋] “Eight Bridges” , Yoshiwara Pleasure District (Edo) |
| School | Utagawa (歌川) |
| Creation / Publishing year | 1869 , Meiji 2 |
| Acquisition year | 2025 |
