Courtesan in Front of New Year's Decoration of Pine and Bamboo

A tall, narrow (hashira-e) print showing a standing courtesan in a patterned kimono of rust-orange, olive, and white, with a wide sash tied at the front. She stands beside a New Year's pine-and-bamboo arrangement (kadomatsu), its green pine sprays and striped bamboo stalks filling the upper portion of the composition, with a small woven basket at her feet. Her hair is arranged in the elaborate coiffure typical of courtesan portraits, and the palette is dominated by soft greens, muted oranges, and cream against a plain light background. Isoda Koryūsai, 1770; color woodblock print, hashira-e.