In recent Tanikaze ukiyo-e I showed a beauty duo =photo left—Naniwaya Okita of a famed teahouse. Artist: Shuncho Katsukawa (dates unknown).
Ukiyo-e favors actors and beauties over rikishi. Shuncho's master Shunsho (1726–1792) drew Tanikaze
vs. Onogawa bouts (see Sept. 29 and Oct. 17 blogs) but was famed for beauties like photo right.
Among artists, Kitagawa Utamaro (~1753–1806) reigns in beauty prints—mica-sparkle backgrounds, face-centered compositions conveying inner glow.
He depicted anonymous women—courtesans, teahouse daughters—making models famous across Edo; a kind of media
Okita =photos bottom left= was his most frequent subject.
Okita (1778–?) at Naniwaya teahouse before Asakusa Kannon drew crowds to neighboring stalls.
Rival: Takashimaya Ohisa (1777?–?) =photo bottom right—daughter of a Ryogoku senbei shop, working their teahouse. In 1793 at 17 she modeled for Utamaro, competing with 16-year-old Okita.
With Toyohina, they are Kansei Three Beauties in the top photo (right to left: Okita, Toyohina, Ohisa)—classic "Utamaro beauties" with subtle differences. Okita looks almost too refined, cool. Toyohina, top performer of Tomimoto-style recitation, is the most sensual.
Mainichi Aug. 20 Tokyo edition noted Toyo Bunko's 90th-anniversary "Iwasaki Collection" show (through Dec. 26). The library holds the same Ohisa print =bottom right, displayed until Oct. 20; next show TBD—polite reply citing conservation.
