Beauty under Cherry Blossoms / Hosoda Eishi
About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 1977/1.180
- Title
- Beauty under Cherry Blossoms
- Artist
- Hosoda Eishi
- Artist Nationality
- Japanese
- Artist Life Dates
- 1756-1829
- Medium and Support
- ink and color on silk
- Object Creation Date
- 1810
- Object Creation Place
- Asia (continent)
- Japan (nation)
- Creation Place 1
- Asia (continent)
- Creation Place 2
- Japan (nation)
- Style/Group/Movement
- ukiyo-e
- Inscription
- Signed in lower right: Chobunsai Eishi hitsu; Seal following the signature: Eishi.
- Dimensions
- 183.5 cm x 52.4 cm (72 1/4 in. x 20 5/8 in.)
- Century
- 19th century
- Primary Object Classification
- Painting
- Primary Object Type
- hanging scroll
- Secondary Object Classification
- Painting
- Secondary Object Type
- portrait
- Physical Description
- This is a portrait of a courtesan and her two attendants. The courtesan wears a red cloak with a peacock flying over peonies and a pale green color kimono with “shippô” (seven treasures) pattern. Her green obi, tied in the front, has design of red and blue clouds with gold plants. She is turning away from a viewer to show the gorgeous cloak. Her hair is sculpted in a butterfly shape on the top and has wings to the side. Tortoise-shell combs and multiple hairpins adorn the hair. Her two attendants flank the courtesan; they wear matching, dark green kimono with chrysanthemum flower design and red underkimono. Their kimono have especially long sleeves (furisode), whose openings are tied with ribbons. Their obi are in brocade and tied on their backs. Their hair is sculpted in round shape on their tops and has side wings like the courtesan. They wear silver hair accessories of cherry blossoms and tassels, long hairpins and red silk ribbons. The attendant on the left holds a battledore pad and the right attendant holds a ball. All the women wear black platform sandals. There is a cherry tree in full blossom on the right, from which some petals fall on the women and the ground. There are the artist’s signature and seal on the lower right corner. It has mounting of beige silk and two strips of floral pattern brocade on the top and bottom of the painting.
- Subject Matter
- Traditionally the famous beauties of the Yoshiwara entertainment quarter in Edo would parade under the cherry blossoms every spring in the newest fashions. Here we see an unknown courtesan (but probably one of the top courtesans at the time) accompanied by two young attendants in matching costumes. The battledore pad and ball were originally used in courtly games (the ball is for kicking), but here they are perhaps attributes to the elegance that the courtesan evokes.
- Primary Keywords
- ball (recreational artifact)
- cherry tree
- children (people by age group)
- courtesan
- kimono
- peacock
- peonies
- Secondary Keywords
- animals and creatures
- birds
- buildings and the land
- costume
- costume by form
- deciduous trees
- landscapes (environments)
- main garments
- natural landscapes
- objects we use
- people
- people (agents)
- people and culture
- people by age group
- people by occupation
- people in service occupations
- plants
- prostitutes
- recreational artifacts
- settlements and landscapes
- shrubs
- trees
- trees by leaf life
- vegetation and vegetation components
- vegetation components
- woody plants
- youth
- Rights
- If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/about/services/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Technical Details
- Collection
- University of Michigan Museum of Art
- Image Size
- 3124 x 7600
- File Size
- 590 KB
- Record
- 1977/1.180
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1977-sl-1.180/1977_1.180.jpg
Rights and Permissions
Related Links
IIIF
- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1977-SL-1.180
Cite this Item
View the Help Guide for more information.
- Full citation
-
"Beauty under Cherry Blossoms; Hosoda Eishi." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1977-sl-1.180/1977_1.180.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 31, 2025.
