Standing Geisha

Description

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.

Provenance

William Henry Ketcham, New York; sold to Clarence Buckingham (1854–1913), Chicago, Mar. 4, 1895; by descent to his sister, Kate Sturges Buckingham (1858–1937), Chicago, 1913; given to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1925.

Standing Geisha

Ishikawa Toyonobu

c. 1748

Accession Number

21458

Medium

Hand-colored woodblock print; urushi-e, vertical oban diptych

Dimensions

65.4 × 24.7 cm (25 3/4 × 9 3/4 in.)

Classification

woodblock print

Museum

The Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, United States

Credit Line

Clarence Buckingham Collection