Ôi of the Ebiya, from the series Modern Customs of the Pleasure Quarters 

This is Keisai Eisen’s woodblock print ‘Ôi of the Ebiya, from the series Modern Customs of the Pleasure Quarters’. It provides us with a window into the floating world of Edo-period Japan. Edo society had strict social hierarchies, and the pleasure quarters existed outside of these norms, offering a space where social boundaries were blurred, and merchants could mingle with samurai. The courtesans who occupied these spaces, like Ôi, became celebrities, their fashion and style emulated by women throughout the city. Eisen’s print captures Ôi in a moment of repose, surrounded by the accoutrements of her trade; her elaborate kimono and hair ornaments speak to her status, while the shadows in the background hint at the hidden world behind the screen. The inclusion of the small dog is particularly poignant. The image isn't just a portrait; it’s a carefully constructed performance of identity, where Ôi embodies both the allure and the constraints of her position. It serves as a reminder of the complex interplay between desire, commerce, and social mobility in the pleasure quarters of Edo Japan.