“The Courtesan Hanazuma Reading a Letter,” from the series Beauties Compared to Flowers (Bijin hana awase)
Kitagawa Utamaro Japanese
Not on view
The courtesan Hanazuma, of the Hyōgoya brothel, uses both hands to hold a letter very close to her eyes. In the upper left corner is a white peony in a circle; the background is in pale powdered mica.
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