Courtesan watching her maids roll a snowball c. 1770

"Courtesan watching her maids roll a snowball" is a woodblock print by Shiba Kōkan from around 1770. It depicts a courtesan, standing gracefully, watching her two maids roll a large snowball in the snow. The scene is set in a snowy landscape, with a bamboo fence and trees in the background. Kōkan's use of color is particularly delicate, especially in the rendering of the women’s robes and the pale blue and green of the snowy landscape. This print is a beautiful example of the ukiyo-e style, a genre of Japanese art depicting everyday life and popular entertainment.