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Beauty of the Kanbun Era

late 17th century
Not on view
Kanbun bijin, or “Beauty of the Kanbun Era,” is a generic name given to paintings of a woman standing against a neutral background. The tall woman wears her hair in an elaborate style called gosho-mage, or “palace chignon.” The designs on her outer kosode include areas of “fawn-spot” tie-dyeing interspersed with flower patterns, while decorated underlayers are also visible. Around the Kanbun period (1661–73) the width of the obi sash was still quite narrow.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 寛文美人図
  • Title: Beauty of the Kanbun Era
  • Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
  • Date: late 17th century
  • Culture: Japan
  • Medium: Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on paper
  • Dimensions: Image: 24 1/8 × 9 5/8 in. (61.3 × 24.4 cm)
    Overall with mounting: 55 × 15 7/16 in. (139.7 × 39.2 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation, 2015
  • Object Number: 2015.300.112
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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