The Courtesan Hinazuru of the Chōjiya Brothel (Chōjiya Hinazuru), from the series Beauties of the Pleasure Quarters as Six Floral Immortals (Seirō bijin rokkasen)

Chōbunsai Eishi Japanese

Not on view

At the Chōjiya (House of the Cloves) brothel in Yoshiwara, more than a half dozen courtesans over the course of successive generations styled themselves “Hinazuru” (literally, “baby crane”). The title of this series includes the phrase rokkasen, which sounds like it should mean Six Poetic Immortals, but the character for “poetry” has been playfully substituted with the one for “flower,” suggesting that the women of the pleasure quarters are being compared to beautiful flowers.

Each print in this series has a different flower in the title cartouche; here, a peony is included.

The Courtesan Hinazuru of the Chōjiya Brothel (Chōjiya Hinazuru), from the series Beauties of the Pleasure Quarters as Six Floral Immortals (Seirō bijin rokkasen), Chōbunsai Eishi (Japanese, 1756–1829), Woodblock print; ink and color on paper, Japan

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