Utagawa School, active ca. 1830-1850

Preparatory Drawing of an Oiran Wearing an Uchikage Decorated with Blossoms and Butterflies, with Two Kamuro

sumi ink drawing on paper, unsigned, with detailed notations for the carver and printer indicating the intended coloration, ca. 1830

conserved on achival paper 15 3/4 by 11 in., 40.1 by 27.8 cm

Both the courtesan and her attendant have a kirimon (paulownia crest) incorporated into the decorations on their kimono and in the case of the kamuro, their hair ornaments. The crest would identify their associated Yoshiwara brothel.

$1,200

Utagawa School, active ca. 1830-1850

Preparatory Drawing of an Oiran Wearing an Uchikage Decorated with Blossoming Plum, with Two Kamuro

sumi ink drawing on paper, unsigned, with detailed notations for the carver and printer indicating the intended coloration, ca. 1830

conserved on achival paper 15 3/4 by 11 in., 40.1 by 27.8 cm

The courtesan's kimono and one of the attendants hair ornaments bears a mon (crest) in the shape of stylized circles that could identify their associated Yoshiwara brothel.

$1,200

Utagawa School, active ca. 1830-1850

Preparatory Drawing of an Oiran Wearing an Uchikage Decorated with Shishi, with Two Kamuro

sumi ink drawing on paper, unsigned, with detailed notations for the carver and printer indicating the intended coloration, ca. 1830

conserved on achival paper 15 3/4 by 11 in., 40.1 by 27.8 cm

The two attendants wear hair ornaments surmouonted by a mon (crest) that could identify their associated Yoshiwara brothel.

$1,200

These drawings appear to be near-final versions of compositions related to a series of parading oiran (high ranking courtesans) with very detailed instructions for the carver and printer on how the coloration should be addressed. While it seems unlikely that these details would be given if the designs were not yet approved for production, we are unable (thus far) to locate their corresponding prints. They were found in a well-worn album of preparatory bijinga (pictures of beautiful women) drawings dated to circa 1825-30s either stylistically or by matching directly to published prints by a handful of artists including Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865), Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861), Keisai Eisen (1790-1848) and Sencho --to whom these seem attributable in comparison with five other identified Senchu designs in the group. However, the theme of courtesans and attendants parading in a graphic cluster of overlapping patterns and colors was a popular archetype that nearly every bijinga artist designed during that period, and any one of the artists identified in the group, or some other Utagawa School artist could have produced these beauties.