Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

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The Courtesan Hinatsuru of the Chōji-ya

Glossary (3)

kimono, nishiki-e, vegetable pigments

  • kimono

    Kimonos, or 'the thing worn' in Japanese, had seasonal designs. The style of kimonos would change four times a year, and winter kimonos would be padded.

  • nishiki-e

    Nishiki-e literally means 'brocade pictures' and refers to multi-coloured woodblock prints.

  • vegetable pigments

    Vegetable pigments were used to create coloured dyes for Japanese prints, paintings, and textiles. These pigments often faded over time due to the chemical reactions they underwent.

Location

    • currently in research collection

Objects are sometimes moved to a different location. Our object location data is usually updated on a monthly basis. Contact the Jameel Study Centre if you are planning to visit the museum to see a particular object on display, or would like to arrange an appointment to see an object in our reserve collections.

 

Publications online

  • Beauties of the Four Seasons by Mitsuko Watanabe

    Beauties of the Four Seasons

    Ichirakutei Eisui, who was a pupil of Chōbunsai Eishi, produced a huge number of portraits of beauties, far more than the other pupils of Eishi, and he was influenced by Utamaro.

    This print is a portrait of the courtesan Hinatsuru of the Chōji-ya who is about to write on a scroll which she holds in her left hand. Writing letters to customers was an important part of the duties of the courtesans. Hinatsuru was well-versed in the arts such as poetry, tea ceremony and music and was particularly popular in her time. Customers who wished to see her needed to make an appointment half a year in advance. Her hair-style is particularly impressive and shows many kanzashi (ornamental hairpins) and a hair clip. The colour of her kimono is beautifully embroidered with cherry blossoms.

    Part of her kimono has been re-touched by hand.
  • Beauties of the Four Seasons by Mitsuko Watanabe

    Beauties of the Four Seasons

    Ichirakutei Eisui, who was a pupil of Chōbunsai Eishi, produced a huge number of portraits of beauties, far more than the other pupils of Eishi, and he was influenced by Utamaro.

    This print is a portrait of the courtesan Hinatsuru of the Chōji-ya who is about to write on a scroll which she holds in her left hand. Writing letters to customers was an important part of the duties of the courtesans. Hinatsuru was well-versed in the arts such as poetry, tea ceremony and music and was particularly popular in her time. Customers who wished to see her needed to make an appointment half a year in advance. Her hair-style is particularly impressive and shows many kanzashi (ornamental hairpins) and a hair clip. The colour of her kimono is beautifully embroidered with cherry blossoms.

    Part of her kimono has been re-touched by hand.

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