Courtesan with a Kitten
A seated courtesan is dressed in a gray-patterned over-robe (uchikake), a brilliant red kimono decorated with white dots arranged in a faux tie dyed pattern, and a white under-robe. Her two tiered chignon is fastened with a white cloth tie and a tortoiseshell comb. She leans against a kotatsu brazier covered by a low table and a cloth for warmth during the winter season. In one hand she holds a long stemmed tobacco pipe (kiseru), and with the other she caresses a kitten. In front of her is a lacquered tray containing a set of utensils used for smoking, along with the pipe of her unseen male client. A three-stringed shamisen lies beside her, its plectrum tucked beneath the strings.
Artwork Details
- Title: Courtesan with a Kitten
- Artist: Nishikawa Sukenobu 西川祐信 (Japanese, 1671–1750)
- Period: Edo period (1615–1868), probably Kyōhō era (1716–36)
- Date: early 18th century
- Culture: Japan
- Medium: Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk
- Dimensions: Image: 13 1/8 × 20 3/4 in. (33.4 × 52.8 cm)
Overall with mounting: 52 1/4 × 26 3/8 in. (132.7 × 67 cm)
Overall with knobs: 52 1/4 × 28 1/2 in. (132.7 × 72.4 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Gift of Sue Cassidy Clark, in honor of Barbara Brennan Ford, 2020
- Object Number: 2020.75.2
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
More Artwork
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.