Courtesan Dreaming of her Childhood

c. 1770

Suzuki Harunobu 鈴木春信

(Japanese, 1724–1770)

Culture

Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)

Medium

Woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Measurements

Sheet: 68 x 12.8 cm (26 3/4 x 5 1/16 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of J. H. Wade 1920.516

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Location

Not on view

Did You Know?

Pillar prints, or hashira-e (柱絵), are long and narrow Japanese woodblock prints originally intended to decorate wooden pillars.

Description

This print depicts a courtesan dreaming about the time she was taken from her family to become a courtesan. The man leading the girl by the hand is probably escorting her to the Yoshiwara, the entertainment district in Edo. This format is called a pillar print, or hashira-e (literally, "pillar picture"). It is made by pasting two sheets together vertically to form a long, narrow picture, often hung as a decoration on the narrow support posts of the interior of Japanese houses.