Maiko
- Date:
- 1924
- Medium:
- Woodblock print, ink and color on paper with mica
- Format:
- Oban
- Dimensions:
- 38.3 × 26.5 cm
- Publisher:
- Watanabe Shozaburo
- Source:
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
$2,000–$15,000. Common subjects: $2,000–$5,000. Key value factors: Yamamura's Art Deco-influenced designs are particularly sought after. Kabuki actor prints and bold modern compositions command the highest prices.
Created in 1924, this [oban](/glossary/oban) print depicts a maiko (apprentice geisha) using ink, color, and mica on paper. The mica ground adds a luminous quality to the background, making the young woman's elaborately dressed figure seem to glow against a pearlescent surface. Maiko were a perennial subject in [shin-hanga](/glossary/shin-hanga) printmaking, their layered kimono and ornate hairstyles offering rich visual material for the woodblock medium. Toyonari's 1924 date places this print in the same period as his Shanghai dancing scene, suggesting a year in which he expanded beyond pure kabuki subjects. The maiko's costume details, from the long-sleeved furisode to the dangling kanzashi ornaments, are rendered with care that reflects both the artist's draftsmanship and the carver's skill in translating fine lines into woodblock form.
1919
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Woodblock print
1920
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper with mica
1920
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper with nikawa and embossing
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Maiko was created by Yamamura Toyonari (山村豊成) in 1924.
Maiko was published by Watanabe Shozaburo (1924).
Maiko depicts bijin-ga.
Maiko measures 38.3 × 26.5 cm (Oban format).
