$5,000–$200,000+. Reproduction prints: $5,000–$15,000. Key value factors: Shoen's paintings are far more valuable than prints. Authenticity and provenance are critical.
An Ohara-me, a woman from the rural village of Ohara north of Kyoto, carries bundled firewood or produce on her head to sell in the city. These female vendors were a common sight on Kyoto's streets for centuries, recognizable by their distinctive costume and the bundles balanced atop their heads. Shoen portrays the vendor with the same dignity she accords courtly women, refusing to condescend to the working subject. The Ohara-me's practical clothing, a shorter kimono with leggings and a cloth head-covering, contrasts with the elaborate dress of Shoen's usual bijin subjects, yet the figure carries herself with a physical confidence born of daily labor. Shoen's interest in this subject reflects her broader concern with representing the full range of women's experience, from aristocratic refinement to the strength of working women who supported their families through physical endurance and commercial enterprise.
Oharame- female vendor (1) was created by Uemura Shoen (上村松園).
Oharame- female vendor (1) depicts figures and market scenes.
