Courtesans gather beneath cherry blossoms outside a teahouse

A triptych of courtesans and young attendants gathers beneath blossoming cherry trees outside a teahouse hung with a rolled bamboo blind. Robes in mustard gold, coral pink and black patterned with white chrysanthemums layer over pale under-kimono. In the left panel a group of women and a small attendant stand by the building's wall; at the centre courtesans gather at a red-covered bench, one seated, with two small girls before them; at right more women and girl attendants walk beneath a flowering branch. Inscriptions at the top name the house and the women.

Kitagawa Utamaro (c. 1753–1806) defined the ukiyo-e portrait of women. Working with the publisher Tsutaya Jūzaburō in the 1790s, he introduced the ōkubi-e, or large-head print, which brought the viewer close enough to read a glance or a gesture, and he gave the beauties of the Yoshiwara district individual faces and names. Mica grounds, transparent textiles and fine line work made his prints the most refined of their day. His work is held by the British Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Printed as a museum-grade giclée on Hahnemühle fine art paper using 12-ink archival pigment printing. Available handframed in FSC-certified wood with optional float glass, or unframed. Ships worldwide with free delivery to 30+ countries.