Maiko - 舞子
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Source:
- Japanese Art Open Database
Typical Price
Beauty subjects are especially sought after in this category. Key value factors: As self-carved and self-printed works, sosaku-hanga value is tied to the artist's reputation and edition size. Larger formats, earlier editions, and historically significant works command the highest prices.
- Common examples: $100–$500
- Good impressions: $500–$2,000
- Premium/scarce: $2,000–$10,000
Description
A maiko is an apprentice geisha, typically between fifteen and twenty years old, distinguished by her elaborate trailing obi, long-sleeved kimono, and distinctive white face makeup. Terashima Shimei's woodblock print captures this iconic figure from the entertainment districts of Kyoto, where maiko have been a living symbol of traditional arts for centuries. The maiko's appearance is codified in exhaustive detail: the specific arrangement of hair ornaments changes by month, the trailing hem of the kimono signals her apprentice status, and the painted lower lip marks her as not yet a full geisha. Rendering all these elements in the woodblock medium requires exceptional precision from the carver, who must translate fine textile patterns and hair ornament details into relief surfaces capable of holding ink. The Japanese characters in the title confirm the subject unambiguously.
