Courtesan with Fan and Koto

Chōbunsai Eishi 鳥文斎栄之

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

An elegant courtesan, her coiffure festooned with a complex array of hairpins, glances sideways while holding a round fan (uchiwa). Her pale purple kimono, overlaying a red undergarment, is decorated in the lower section with autumn flowers, bush clover (hagi), and bellflowers (kikyō). Her obi is knotted in the front, as is the wont of courtesans. Behind her is a fine-quality koto (a type of zither) and bound libretto, signals of her cultural accomplishments. Although Eishi’s early training was in the academic style of the Kano atelier masters, he switched his allegiance to the Ukiyo-e school, specializing in paintings and prints of refined, high-ranking courtesans.

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