three elegantly dressed women; standing woman on R wearing blue kimono with paper cranes; center woman is seated and wearing white; woman onL is standing and facing L and holding tray

Working Girls, first half 19th century

Not on Viewexpand_more

In the Edo period, the material and design of kimono were strictly regulated by the government along class lines, such that class and occupation were identifiable by costumes and hairstyles. Here (from left to right) are ladies of the warrior class, wives of merchants, young maidens, working girls, and women in the demimonde. Soken’s extraordinary brush control and use of pigments can be seen in the delicate hairlines and the texture of complexions and make-up. The son of a kimono merchant, he depicted magnificent kimono with delicate folds suggesting the body under the fabric.

Details
Title
Working Girls
Artist Life
1759 - 1818
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2013.29.169.4
Provenance
Azabu Museum of Art ('-1998); sold at Christie's New York, Park Avenue, Sale 9044 (AN IMPORTANT COLLECTION OF JAPANESE UKIYO-E PAINTINGS), 27 October 1998, lot 119; Clark Center for Japanese Art & Culture (2001-13).
Curator Approved

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three elegantly dressed women; standing woman on R wearing blue kimono with paper cranes; center woman is seated and wearing white; woman onL is standing and facing L and holding tray