[ORIRAN NO SUGATA: THE FIGURE OF A COURTESAN]. [NIHON GIGA: DOODLE PICTURES]

[Tokyo n.d. ca 1900-1920's]. Chuban vertical color woodblock print, sheet: 19.6 x 30.3 cm., superb impression & registry, beautiful colors and image, artist's signature in block,with red Hanko [seal/chop], stunningly beautiful.* SELDOM FOUND * . *** **** *** . . SUPERB PORTRAIT OF AN ORIAN [COURTESAN] . . . IN ELABORATELY DECORATED SILK KIMONO . * A classic Kaigetsudo style portrait print of a popular prostitute with her young girl attendant maid. . This is a classic style Kaigetsudo portrait of a popular prostitute showing her in all her glorious silk Kimono dress. She is of the highest class. . She wears four Kimonos, the last being the red [erotic] undergarment, which she proudly shows in an sexually enticing pose. . She has her Obi [waist belt] tied in the front, indicating her status as a prostitute, showing her willingness to open her Kimono for the most selective of her clients. . *** THE ARTIST KAIGETSUDO ANDO SCHOOL OF THE 18TH CENTURY: . A school of painters and printmakers working in the Ukiyo-e style, specializing in large scale paintings and prints of courtesans during the first half of the 18th century. . As usual this print is unsigned. It is generally assumed that Ando was the founder of this school and that his style was closely copied by a small group of artists all using the name "Kaigetsudo" in their signatures. . This is a nostalgic Meiji period [1867-1912] reprint of an 18th century original. "These prints stand out as bold memorials to Japanese womanhood by 'cultivated' men of the period." Quoted from Lane below. . This kind of woodblock print was done ca. 1704 (HOEI) -1716 (SHOTOKU) periods. . *** Color photos are posted to our website. . *** CONDITION: . In a word, "superb" is the condition of this fine example. The registry and impression are impeccable, without flaw, as good as it can get. * There is a tiny hint of a feint detent just right of the signature on the verso [back] side, though invisible, it is barely evident from the back. Otherwise no issues, as good as it can get. . Seldom found a RARE and obscure example. . *** REFERENCE: . Google Kaigetsudo. * ROBERTS, Laurance P.: A DICTIONARY OF JAPANESE ARTISTS: PAINTING, SCULPTURE, CERAMICS, PRINTS, LACQUER, see p.64. * LANE, Richard.: IMAGES FROM THE FLOATING WORLD: THE JAPANESE PRINT INCLUDING AN ILLUSTRATED DICTIONARY OF UKIYO-E., see pages 290-281. . * .