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The Courtesan Yoyoyama of the Matsubaya (Matsubaya uchi Yoyoyama)
The Courtesan Yoyoyama of the Matsubaya (Matsubaya uchi Yoyoyama)
Public domain: Image courtesy of the Worcester Art Museum.

The Courtesan Yoyoyama of the Matsubaya (Matsubaya uchi Yoyoyama)

Artist (Japanese, 1787–1867)
Publisher (Japanese)
Dateabout 1830
Mediumwoodblock print; ink and color on paper
DimensionsVertical ōban: 38.1 x 25.4 cm (15 x 10 in.)
ClassificationsPrints
Credit LineJohn Chandler Bancroft Collection
Object number1901.59.2651
DescriptionFirst sheet of pentaptych
Label TextEizan’s distinctive style was undeniably entrenched in a keen fascination with fûryû, roughly translating to “the fashionable” but more specifically referring to the value placed on flamboyant personal style. It can be seen in the elaborate costumes and settings of his figures, exaggerated by a wide-ranging color palette (bright, imported pigments like Prussian blue) and layering of fine patterns. This print depicts a high-ranking courtesan in the “red-light” Yoshiwara district of Edo (modern-day Tokyo) promenading with her attendants. Each figure wears magnificent hairstyles, kanzashi hair pins, and layers of fine kimono. The motifs on their fashionable garments could reflect aspects of their character, wealth, or affiliation with a specific brothel. For example, the courtesan Yoyoyama's kimono bears a large artist’s seal, indicating that she commissioned its design directly from a local artist.
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