Hanga
「岡田屋内」 「おそめ」 by Kawanabe Kyosai — Japanese Woodblock print

「岡田屋内」 「おそめ」

by Kawanabe Kyosai

Medium:
Woodblock print
Image courtesy of
Metropolitan Museum of Art

Description

Okadaya-uchi Osome is a bijin-ga depicting a courtesan named Osome belonging to the Okadaya establishment, one of the licensed quarter's (kuruwa) houses. The inscription 'Okadaya-uchi' (within the Okadaya) follows the standard format of Edo-period courtesan prints, identifying the house before the individual. Kyosai's bijin-ga work is less voluminous than his paintings and caricatures, but he brought to it the same understanding of line and volume developed through figure painting. Osome would be rendered in formal kōsode or furisode with careful attention to textile pattern, hair ornaments (kanzashi), and the characteristic composed deportment expected of a high-ranking courtesan portrait.

More Prints by Kawanabe Kyosai

Frequently Asked Questions

「岡田屋内」 「おそめ」 was created by Kawanabe Kyosai (河鍋暁斎).