hanging scroll;
painting
- Museum number
- 1913,0501,0.395
- Description
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Painting, hanging scroll. Courtesan Katachino standing beneath flowering cherry, turning to look over her right shoulder, with hands held inside robe; two large lanterns at her feet, decorated with triple-fan emblem of Ogiya and with triple oak-leaves in circle. Ink, colour and gold on silk. Signed and sealed.
- Production date
- 1781-1789 (c.)
- Dimensions
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Height: 96.60 centimetres
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Width: 41.50 centimetres
- $Inscriptions
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- Curator's comments
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Clark 1992
A courtesan stands beneath a flowering cherry tree - probably planted in Nakanocho, the central street of the Yoshiwara pleasure quarter - the light from two large lanterns at her feet illuminating the blossoms. The rear lantern bears the triple-fan emblem of the Ogiya ('Fan house'), while the one in front has triple oak-leaves in a circle, which, according to the printed guide to courtesans of 1788, 'Keisei kei', was the 'alternative crest' ('kaemon') of the high-ranking courtesan Katachino. In this guide Santo Kyoden remarks that Katachino is vivacious, likes sake, and has a large following of admirers.
Here she is shown from behind, turning to look over her right shoulder, wearing a sophisticated ensemble of a (?faded) purple kimono with roundels of seasonal plants and flowers - pinks, iris, bush clover and maple leaves - set off by a black 'obi' decorated with small coiled dragons in gold. Her hands are held up inside her robe, and the right sleeve has been tossed over and hangs down in display. Toyoharu did many paintings of courtesans dressed in gaudy finery processing beneath cherry trees with attendants, but this work is set apart by the relative simplicity of the costume and the fact that Katachino is depicted alone in pensive mood.
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Asahi 1996
満開の桜の下に遊女がたたずんでいる。この桜の木は吉原の大通り、仲ノ町に植えられたのものであろう。遊女の足下の大きな提灯の明かりが桜の木を照らしている。奥の提灯には扇屋の三ツ扇紋が見える。手前の紋は丸に三つ柏で、天明8年（1788）に出版された遊女を品評した洒落本「傾城ケイ」によると、三つ柏は扇屋の遊女容野の替紋である。筆者山東京伝は容野について、にぎやかで酒を好み大勢ひいきがいたと述べている。
本作品では容野は背中を見せ、右肩越しに振り返っている。洗練された（褐色以前は紫色であったと思われる）着物には撫子、菖蒲、萩、紅葉といった四季折々の草花を円形にした模様をあしらい、金で小さな龍文を施した黒い帯が着物を引き立てている。両手を袖口に隠し、右袖がよく見えるように袖を返して腕に掛けている。豊春は着飾った遊女が禿を連れて桜の下を道中する作品を何点も残しているが、本作品は比較的シンプルな装いの容野が一人で物思いにふけるかのように描かれており、一線を画すものとなっている。
（伊藤紫織（千葉市美術館））
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
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Exhibited:
2008 Feb 18-2008 Jun 1, BM Japanese Galleries, 'Japan from prehistory to the present'
- Acquisition date
- 1913
- Acquisition notes
- The collection of Japanese and Chinese paintings belonging to Arthur Morrison was purchased by Sir William Gwynne-Evans, who presented it to the British Museum in 1913.
- Department
- Asia
- Registration number
- 1913,0501,0.395
- Additional IDs
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Asia painting number: Jap.Ptg.1435 (Japanese Painting Number)
