Geisha on a Boat Landing
Terms of Use
Usage Conditions ApplyAt A Glance
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Period
ca. 1782 -
Geography
Japan -
Material
Ink and color on paper -
Dimension
H x W (overall): 70.8 x 12 cm (27 7/8 x 4 3/4 in) -
Accession Number
S2004.3.331 -
EDAN ID
edanmdm:fsg_S2004.3.331
Object Details
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Artist
Torii Kiyonaga 鳥居清長 (1752-1815) -
Label
Pillar prints (hashira-e) were originally produced in the 1740s, and their production peaked in the 1770s. The long, narrow prints were intended for display, and were pasted onto the flat pillars in commoners' homes or mounted as inexpensive hanging scrolls. Artists used the narrow format to provide an alluring glimpse of subjects such as beautiful women, a favorite theme of Japanese print artists, publishers, and consumers. The format of the pillar print effectively complements the slender, elongated proportions of a geisha who is caught in motion as she steps aboard a boat. The artist Kiyonaga was a leading designer of prints of beautiful women (bijinga). In other states of this print, the robe is printed in black. Variations in color blocks are often seen in prints that were so popular that publishers reissued them as "new" images. -
Collection
National Museum of Asian Art Collection -
Exhibition History
Inventing Utamaro: A Japanese Masterpiece Rediscovered (April 8 to July 9, 2017)Masterful Illusions: Japanese Prints from the Anne van Biema Collection (September 15, 2002 to January 9, 2003) -
Origin
Japan -
Credit Line
The Anne van Biema Collection -
Type
Print -
Restrictions and Rights
Usage Conditions Apply
There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
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