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Courtesan and her retinue on an outing (part of triptych)

Utagawa Toyokuni I

Artwork Details

Courtesan and her retinue on an outing (part of triptych)
late 1780
Utagawa Toyokuni I
large full-color woodblock print (nishiki e) on paper, large-format (ôban), part of triptych
14 7/8 in. x 10 1/8 in. ( 37.78 cm x 25.72 cm )
Bequest of Margaret Watson Parker
1948/1.173

Description

Gallery Rotation Fall 2013
Utagawa Toyokuni I
Japan, 1769–1825
Courtesan and Her Retinue on an Outing
Edo period (1615–1868)
Late 1780s
Color woodblock print, part of a triptych
Bequest of Margaret Watson Parker, 1948/1.173

Subject Matter:

This image reveals a group of Yoshiwara courtesans. The woman with the fan pattern is the highest ranking courtesan. The woman to her left is her junior, wearing a kimono decorated with stylized stars. This pattern is slightly altered and repeated on the kimono of the two child attendants. The woman in the black-and-white striped kimono is a maid.

Physical Description:

An image of three older women and two young girls standing together outside of a building. The woman to the left wears a plain kimono of black stripes and a green obi. The two women in the center wear layered kimono of orange shades, with the woman on the right wearing star burst designs and the woman on the left wearing a fan and flower design. The two young girls also wear kimono of orange and a different style of star burst pattern. In the background is a scene of trees and a pond.

Usage Rights:

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