Standing Geisha
c. 1748
Ishikawa Toyonobu Japanese, 1711–1785
Japan
A geisha holds a practice book for a narrative musical (joruri) in her left hand and a plectrum (bachi) for playing the shamisen in her right hand. She is on her way to her music lessons. This joruri was first performed at the Nakamura theater in 1744. The crest (mon) on the geisha’s boldly patterned kimono depicts the character some, which was perhaps part of her name.
Hand-colored woodblock print; urushi-e, vertical oban diptych