Courtesans of the Chojiya and their attendants playing kemari
c. 1791/93
Medium
Color woodblock print; oban triptych
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
109403
Art Historical Context
In this vibrant color woodblock print triptych, Utagawa Toyokuni captures a lively moment from Japan's Edo period (1603–1868). around 1791–93, the oban-sized work depicts elegant courtesans from the renowned Chojiya teah in Yoshiwara—the glittering pleasure district of Edo (modern Tokyo)—along with their attendants, joyfully playing kemari, a graceful ball game akin to keepie-uppie. Toyokuni, a master of the ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world") tradition, showcases his signature style of bijin-ga, or images of beautiful women, rendered with flowing kimonos and poised elegance amid the ga...
About the Artist
Utagawa Toyokuni I · 1777–1835
Japanese, 1777–1835