Thirsty: the appearance of a town geisha, a bar girl, in the Ansei era, No. 22

by Yoshitoshi (1839 - 1892)

Current Status

Thirsty: the appearance of a town geisha, a bar girl, in the Ansei era, No. 22  by Yoshitoshi (1839 - 1892)

Original Yoshitoshi (1839 - 1892) Japanese Woodblock Print
Thirsty: the appearance of a town geisha, a bar girl, in the Ansei era, No. 22

Series; Thirty-Two Aspects of Women
Premium First Edition printing with 3 color cartouche

Yoshitoshi's Thirty-two Aspects of Women - Yoshitoshi's finest series of bijin-ga or pictures of beautiful women, "Thirty-two Aspects of Women" features portraits of beauties in a lighthearted reference to the thirty-two notable features of Buddha. The women depicted come from all social classes, representing beauties from the late 18th century through Yoshitoshi's own time.

Each design captures a woman in a scene from daily life, realistically and sensitively portrayed as individuals rather than idealized figures. Elegant fabrics are beautifully rendered, and hairstyles and facial features are drawn with the most delicate of lines. The series was beautifully printed using deluxe techniques, such as soft bokashi shading, embossing, and burnishing, creating some of the finest prints of the Meiji era.

"Thirty-two Aspects" proved popular with the public when first published, and has been appreciated by viewers and collectors ever since. Designs in this fantastic series are some of the most highly sought after woodblocks of the Meiji era, and are certainly considered masterworks of Yoshitoshi's career.

First Edition Printing - This print comes from the first edition printing of this series, notable for the three color cartouche in the upper corner of each design. Later editions had only one or two colors. First edition prints, especially those in fine condition, are highly sought after by collectors.

Thirsty: the appearance of a town geisha, a bar girl, in the Ansei era, No. 22 - The title "town geisha" suggests the lower status of this plainly dressed young woman. Rather than dancing and entertaining, she is mostly assigned to serving drinks. In this scene she is on her knees turning left towards a customer with a cup of sake in her hand. Her face is slightly flushed with pink around the eyes, suggesting that she enjoys drinking sake herself, as she smiles cheerfully. A charming design, finely detailed, with burnishing in the black kimono collar.

Artist - Yoshitoshi (1839 - 1892)

Image Size - 9 1/4" x 14 1/8"

Condition - With excellent color and detail. A few small holes repaired from reverse. Some minor toning at edges. Please see photos for details. Very nice overall.

Thirsty: the appearance of a town geisha, a bar girl, in the Ansei era, No. 22  by Yoshitoshi (1839 - 1892)
Thirsty: the appearance of a town geisha, a bar girl, in the Ansei era, No. 22  by Yoshitoshi (1839 - 1892)

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