The Fifth Month, Hanagoromo of the Wakanaya 

Keisai Eisen produced this woodblock print called "The Fifth Month, Hanagoromo of the Wakanaya" in nineteenth-century Japan. It depicts a high-ranking courtesan relaxing on a balcony. Note the inset image above her: it shows the district where she lives and works. During the Edo period in Japan, ukiyo-e prints like this played a crucial role in shaping social and cultural identities. These images were not just art objects, but also advertisements and commodities, connecting the pleasure quarters of the city to a broader public audience. Woodblock prints were tied to a complex commercial and social nexus. Hanagoromo's languid pose and luxurious clothing speak to a culture that, at least in these licensed and regulated spaces, valued beauty, leisure, and a certain kind of freedom from social constraint. The artist is implicitly critiquing the strict social hierarchies and moral codes of the time. By examining period documents, we can learn more about the lives of courtesans, their role in society, and the ways in which their images were consumed and interpreted.