Takigawa of the Ōgiya Brothel: The First Reception Room Appointment of the New Year (Hatsu-uri zashiki no zu: Ōgiya Takigawa), from the series A Comparison of Selected Beauties of the Pleasure Quarters (Seirō bisen awase)

Chōbunsai Eishi

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The high-ranking courtesan Takigawa self-consciously adjusts her hair and clothing in preparation for receiving a customer. Her gorgeous garments are of the variety that a contemporary popular writer had in mind when describing high-class courtesans wearing “undergarments of white damask and two robes: an under-robe of scarlet and white kanoko shibori [“fawn spots”] and the outer one of pale . . . silk, dyed and embroidered.” Chōbunsai Eishi adds a dark obi sash that dramatically contrasts with the delicate blue-and-purple robe. The sparkling mica background completes the air of sumptuousness. Eishi’s prints, characterized by elegant, elongated figures and meticulous draftsmanship, evoke his artistic training by Kano-school painters.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art