Two Courtesans
Medium
Woodblock print (surimono); ink and color on paper
Dimensions
8 1/4 x 7 5/16 in. (21 x 18.6 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929
Accession Number
JP1918
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan (1615–1868), Ryūryūkyo Shinsai's *Two Courtesans* the allure of the "floating world (ukiyo-e), where pleasure and transience reigned. This intimate woodblock print, or surimono, depicts two elegant courtesans—high-status women from the Yoshiwara pleasure district—poised in luxurious kimonos, their graceful forms embodying beauty and sophistication. Created as a private commission, likely for New Year's greetings or poetry circles, surimono like this one were deluxe productions, often featuring embossed details, mica flecks, and subtle color gradients th...
About the Artist
Ryūryūkyo Shinsai · 1799–1823
Ryūryūkyo Shinsai (柳々居辰斎), active from 1799 to 1823, was a prominent Japanese ukiyo-e printmaker based in Edo (modern Tokyo), renowned for his mastery of surimono—luxurious, privately commissioned woodblock prints produced for elite poetry circles and New Year's celebrations. He began his training under Tawaraya Sōri before becoming a student of the legendary Katsushika Hokusai, from whom he recei...