Akasaka: Wakatake of the Wakanaya, circa 1821 - 1823 - Wonderful beauty print from an attractive Eisen series pairing Yoshiwara beauties with the fifty-three stations of the Tokaido Road. This lovely scene features the famous courtesan Wakatake of the Wakanaya stepping through a doorway. She wears a beautiful kimono shaded from pale blue to gray and patterned with a crested bird and tall grasses. She tilts her head as she looks shyly around the sliding shoji screen, holding her sleeve to her chin. Her hair is elegantly arranged with many tortoiseshell hairpins and combs and she wears zori sandals. Her robe is silhouetted in soft gray against the shoji screen, and the inset above shows travelers on the Tokaido Road near Akasaka station. The Boston Museum of Fine Arts has this image in its collection. A classic Edo era beauty subject by Eisen.

Artist - Eisen (1790 - 1848)

Image Size - 14 1/2" x 9 5/8"

Condition - This print with excellent detail as shown. A few wormholes, repaired. Slight toning and soiling, slight rubbing at edges, a few creases and stains. Please see photos for details.