A parody of courtesans on display at the Ogiya (Ogiya mise yatsushi)
c. 1795
Medium
Color woodblock print; oban triptych
Dimensions
57 × 95 cm (22 1/2 × 37 7/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
89765
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan (1603–1868), Chokosai Eisho's *A Parody of Courtesans Display at the OgiyaOgiya mise yats)*, created around 1795, captures the playful spirit of ukiyo-e, the "pictures of the floating world." This color woodblock print triptych—measuring an impressive 57 × cm—depicts glamorous courtesans from the famed Ogiya brothel in Yoshiwara, Tokyo's pleasure district. Eisho, a master of bijin-ga (images of beautiful women) and pupil of the renowned Kitagawa Utamaro, humorously parodies the courtesans' elaborate displays, where high-ranking *oiran* paraded to entic...