Takigawa of the Ōgiya from the series A Selection of Eastern Beauties

吾妻美人ゑらみ　扇屋内滝川

c. 1798

Kitagawa Utamaro 喜多川歌麿

(Japanese, c. 1754–1806)

Culture

Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)

Medium

color woodblock print

Measurements

Sheet: 33 x 22.3 cm (13 x 8 3/4 in.)

Credit Line

Bequest of Edward L. Whittemore 1930.219

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Location

Not on view

Did You Know?

Takigawa became the most senior courtesan of the Ōgiya following the retirement of Hanaōgi.

Description

The courtesan Takigawa worked for the Ōgiya, "House of Fans" brothel, one of the most prestigious in the Yoshiwara. Here, she smokes tobacco, a fashionable trend in 18th-century Edo. Fashion-conscious women in Edo purchased prints of the most famous beauties just as contemporary women buy fashion magazines to learn about the latest styles in make-up and hair. The strands of hair at her temple were printed from thin pieces of wood left in relief when the areas on either side of them were carved away.