Artwork Page for Courtesans of the Ōgiya on a Spring Outing

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Courtesans of the Ōgiya on a Spring Outing

mid- or late 1790s

Utagawa Toyokuni 歌川 豊国

(Japanese, 1769–1825)
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Culture
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)
Medium
One of a triptych of woodblock prints
Measurements
Sheet: 36.9 x 23.6 cm (14 1/2 x 9 5/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift from J. H. Wade 1921.360.c
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

In these prints, two courtesans of the Ōgiya brothel are entering an open pavilion, while another group gathers around a Japanese hibachi inside. Hanaōgi, the most celebrated courtesan of Ōgiya in the late 1700s, is depicted at a desk. Holding a brush in her hand, she turns her head to one side as if gathering her thoughts before writing in the book before her. Both her position and her loosened hair separate Hanaōgi from her courtesan companions who wear elaborate coiffures. This depiction of her captures both her knowledge of poetry and her skill as a calligrapher.
A vertically oriented woodblock print depicts two women in an interior. At our top left, one sits behind a table with an open book, holding a brush. Below her, another woman in an elaborate pink and black floral kimono sits on the floor facing our right. Both have pale skin and black hair with many hairpins. A flowering branch hangs above, while a tea kettle sits at bottom left. Calligraphy panels line the right edge.

Courtesans of the Ōgiya on a Spring Outing

mid- or late 1790s

Utagawa Toyokuni

(Japanese, 1769–1825)
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)

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