Karakoto of Chojiya on Parade
Chōbunsai Eishi Japanese
Not on view
An oiran, the highest class of courtesan, was accompanied by two young attendants, who were modeled on Heian pages, and two shinzo, or ladies-in-waiting, who were learning the profession. Each evening, the oiran and her entourage would parade through the streets. The young attendants wore the sleeves of their robes tied shut with a bow. The parade was as much for promotion as it was for exercise, and depictions of the ritual served as business advertisements and as fashion plates—the smart, city clothing might be copied by provincial women.
The event is captured here in a dark palette known as beni-girai, or "hatred of red," which reflected a sophisticated fashion for gray and brown fabric dyes. Eishi highlights the somber range of colors with touches of peach and yellow.
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