A Dancer Performing Heron Maiden
ca. 1766-68
The presence of a samisen, a three-stringed instrument, in a print typically implies a geisha or her apprentice, the geiko. This charming scene highlights the role of girls and women as artist-entertainers in the pleasure quarters. In theory at least, these young girls and their slightly older counterparts, the geisha, were performers, not courtesans.
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Sheet size: 8 7/8 x 12 3/4 in. (22.5 x 32.4 cm)
Gift of Mary and Allan Kollar, in honor of the 75th Anniversary of the Seattle Art Museum
2013.31.3
Provenance: [Egenolf Gallery, Burbank, California]; purchased from gallery by Allan Kollar, Seattle, Washington, 2006; to Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, 2013
Photo: Colleen Kollar Zorn