Utagawa Kunisada (歌川国貞) / Toyokuni III (三代豊国) (artist 1786 – 01/12/1865)
Kohina (小雛) of the Ōmiya (あみや) from the series Votive Hand Towels (Hōnō tenugui - 奉納手拭)
ca 1814
9.75 in x 14.75 in (Overall dimensions) Japanese color woodblock print
Signed: Gototei Kunisada ga
五渡亭国貞画
Artist's seal below the signature
Publisher: Iseya Rihei (Marks 152 - seal 01-122)
Censor's seal: kiwame
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston - from a different, later edition
Mead Art Museum, Amherst - a much fresher edition
Museum für angewandte Kunst, Vienna - Koman of the Sakura house
Museum für angewandte Kunst, Vienna - Madoka [sic?] of the Tama house
Museum für angewandte Kunst, Vienna - Oshun of the Horikawa house
Museum für angewandte Kunst, Vienna - Shiratama of the Tama house
Museum für angewandte Kunst, Vienna - Ohatsu of the Tenma house
Art Museum of Hokkaido - another copy of the print in the Lyon Collection
Kunisada.de - this series, plus several from another edition without addresses We know of at least 11 prints in this series.
Robert Schaap wrote in Kunisada: Imaging Drama and Beauty on page 40 of another print from this series that:
"The title cartouche apparently in the shape of a tenugui (cotton hand towel), lists the series title, the name of the brothel and a named courtesan. After visiting a brothel guests were perhaps given a hand towel as a souvenir of that particular establishment."
Schaap notes that this is one of Kunisada's earliest series of beauty prints. He adds that the initial character go (五) of the artist's name is a variant of how he later wrote it.
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Several of the prints from this series are shown at Kunisada.de in a different edition with the brothel addresses left off the lower right of the tenugui.
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There is another copy of this print in the Worcester Art Museum.
Iseya Rihei (伊勢屋利兵衛) (publisher)
beautiful women (bijin-ga - 美人画) (genre)