Working Girls, first half 19th century
attr. Yamaguchi Sokenexpand_more
Ink and color on paperexpand_more
Gift of the Clark Center for Japanese Art & Cultureexpand_more 2013.29.169.4
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
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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