Artwork preview

Geisha Girl Hurrying with a Maid Servant Who is Carrying a Shamisen Box

Teisai Hokuba

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The image depicts a traditional Japanese woodblock print. A woman wearing a kimono with a green under-kimon and red and gold outer kimono walks quickly to the left. Her black hair is partially covered by a brown and yellow head-dress, and she appears to be running, as her left leg is extended forward. She holds a long-handled fan in her right hand up in front of her. Behind her to the right, a second woman, wearing a striped kimono and a purple outer kimono with white polka-dots, holds a black box with a gold clasp. The box appears to be a shamisen case. The second woman's hair is pulled up into a large bun on top of her head. The background contains vertical Japanese text on either side of the women. At the top right, behind the women, there are buildings and trees, and to their left is a field or body of water. The entire image is on a beige background.

Artwork Details

Medium
Woodblock print (surimono); ink and color on paper
Culture
Japan
Dimensions
571 × 624 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette