Courtesans of the Three Capitals: Kyoto, Osaka, and Edo
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Accession Number
F1898.433
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Charles Lang Freer collectionEdo period (1615 - 1868)JapanJapanese Artcourtesankakemonoukiyo-e
About this artwork
Kyoto, Osaka, and Edo were the three major cities of Edo-period (1615-1868) Japan. Each city had a distinct culture. Kyoto, the imperial capital, remained the center of traditional court culture and of fine craft production. Nearby Osaka became a thriving commercial center with its own cultural circles of artists, poets, and performers. Edo, a new metropolis and center of the shogun's government, rapidly developed distinct customs and artistic and literary forms. This painting portrays courtesan...