Courtesans Promenading on the Nakanochō
Medium
triptych of color woodblock prints
Dimensions
37.8 × 25.8 cm
Classification
Department
Japanese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Bequest of Edward L. Whittemore
Accession Number
1930.211
Tags
male
About this artwork
Nakanochō was the main street in Yoshiwara, a famous walled pleasure district that housed as many as 4,000 courtesans. In the early evening, elaborately dressed courtesans accompanied by attendants promenaded on the central thoroughfare, as in this scene. The open buildings with shop curtains hanging from their eaves are teahouses, establishments where men could arrange appointments with courtesans of the more prestigious brothels.