Courtesan and her Attendants under a Willow Tree

Unchō Japanese

Inscribed by Santō Kyōden Japanese

1796

Not on view

A high-ranking courtesan (oiran), accompanied by her teenage apprentice (shinzō) and two child attendants (kamuro), promenade beneath a weeping willow in the spring. While the identity of the artist who signs himself “Unchō” has yet to be determined, we may assume that he received his art name from the ukiyo-e artist Katsukawa Shunchō.

The two inscribers of the poetry above, Kyōden and Bakin, are among the greatest popular writers of the day. They have both added Chinese and Japanese poetic phrases referring to the Yoshiwara pleasure quarters. Kyōden uses metaphors of willow trees and flowers; Bakin quotes a Chinese poem and then likens a courtesan to a thousand-armed Kannon bodhisattava in the service of men.

Artwork Details

雲潮筆　山東京伝・曲亭馬琴賛　柳下美人図
Title: Courtesan and her Attendants under a Willow Tree
Artist: Unchō (Japanese, active late 18th century)
Artist: Inscribed by Santō Kyōden (Japanese, 1761–1816)
Artist: Inscribed by Kyokutei Bakin (1767–1848)
Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
Date: 1796
Culture: Japan
Medium: Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk
Dimensions: 36 1/2 x 13 3/8 in. (92.7 x 34 cm)
Overall with mounting: 72 13/16 × 18 7/8 in. (185 × 48 cm)
Overall with knobs: 72 13/16 × 20 5/8 in. (185 × 52.4 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation, 2015
Object Number: 2015.300.141
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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