Courtesans Strolling Beneath Cherry Trees Before the Daikokuya Teahouse
1 of 3
Object Label
Kitagawa Utamaro is known primarily for his images of beautiful women. This trio of prints is unusual because the artist names all of his subjects. The extravagantly dressed women are courtesans, indicated by their obi sashes tied at the front. (Women who are not in the sex trade—including the geishas who provide non-sexual entertainment at parties—tie their obis at the back.) Accompanied by child attendants, they admire the blossoming cherry trees that were transplanted to the entertainment district each spring. The colors in this triptych are remarkably well preserved: the dyes Utamaro used for light blue and lavender are very susceptible to fading and have turned gray in most other examples.
Caption
Kitagawa Utamaro Japanese, 1753–1806. Courtesans Strolling Beneath Cherry Trees Before the Daikokuya Teahouse, probably 1789. Woodblock print, color on paper, 15 3/8 x 10 3/8 in. (39.1 x 26.4 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Estate of Charles A. Brandon, by exchange; purchased with funds given by Mr. and Mrs. Richard M. Danziger, Joan Easton, Mrs. Myron S. Falk, Jr., George S. Friedman, Mr. and Mrs. Mark Kingdon, Klaus F. Naumann, Robert Rosenkranz, and Mr. and Mrs. David Young and Asian Art Acquisition Fund, 1995.137a-c. No known copyright restrictions (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 1995.137a-c_PS4.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Artist
Title
Courtesans Strolling Beneath Cherry Trees Before the Daikokuya Teahouse
Date
probably 1789
Period
Edo Period
Geography
Place made: Japan
Medium
Woodblock print, color on paper
Classification
Dimensions
15 3/8 x 10 3/8 in. (39.1 x 26.4 cm)
Signatures
Utamaro ga 歌麿画
Inscriptions
Figures identified by inscription on each page: Left: Kasugano of the Ogiya (main courtesan) with child attendants (kamuro) Wakana and Kocho, apprentices Harusono, Harukinu, Harukaze, and Harukusa. Middle: Yoshino of the Wakamatsuya (main courtesan) with child attendants Momiji and Shigeno, apprentices Mikishino, Yoshitaka, Yoshisato, and Yoshitomi Right: Nabiki of the Wakamatsuya (main courtesan) with child attendants Takeji and Kikuji, apprentices Ninae, Hanasumi, Nanasato, and Nanahime. (Reading is courtesy of Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Unclear how to read it because there are only 2 apprentices in the center and right pages, but more names listed)
Markings
Publisher: Tsutaya Jūzaburō (Kōshodō)
Credit Line
Gift of the Estate of Charles A. Brandon, by exchange; purchased with funds given by Mr. and Mrs. Richard M. Danziger, Joan Easton, Mrs. Myron S. Falk, Jr., George S. Friedman, Mr. and Mrs. Mark Kingdon, Klaus F. Naumann, Robert Rosenkranz, and Mr. and Mrs. David Young and Asian Art Acquisition Fund
Accession Number
1995.137a-c
Rights
No known copyright restrictions
This work may be in the public domain in the United States. Works created by United States and non-United States nationals published prior to 1923 are in the public domain, subject to the terms of any applicable treaty or agreement. You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this work. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). The Museum does not warrant that the use of this work will not infringe on the rights of third parties, such as artists or artists' heirs holding the rights to the work. It is your responsibility to determine and satisfy copyright or other use restrictions before copying, transmitting, or making other use of protected items beyond that allowed by "fair use," as such term is understood under the United States Copyright Act. The Brooklyn Museum makes no representations or warranties with respect to the application or terms of any international agreement governing copyright protection in the United States for works created by foreign nationals. For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
Have information?
Have information about an artwork? Contact us at