7003 - Japanese Ukiyo-e color woodblock print by Kikugawa Eizan, Bijin-ga depicting a courtesan and her companion, Japan, circa 1816

Japanese Ukiyo-e color woodblock print by Kikugawa Eizan, Bijin-ga depicting a courtesan and her companion, Japan, circa 1816 Kikugawa Eizan, Japan 1787–1867. Original Japanese color woodblock print on paper, Ukiyo-e / Nishiki-e, depicting an elegantly dressed courtesan in a richly patterned kimono, accompanied by a young servant or kamuro. The upper part of the image features a secondary landscape scene, stylized clouds, pine trees, and a calligraphic cartouche. The work likely belongs to the Bijin-ga genre, which depicts beautiful women of the Edo period. The signature in the lower right reads Eizan hitsu, which translates to “painted/drawn by Eizan”; the publisher Jōyō is also named. Dated to ca. 1816. The upper cartouche presumably refers to a series related to “Fūryū … / Mutamagawa no uchi,” though the exact reading of the characters is not entirely certain. A round seal is present but not clearly legible. Dimensions including frame: approx. 44.5 x 31 cm Age and Origin: Japan, Edo period, early 19th century, circa 1816. Original ukiyo-e color woodblock print by Kikugawa Eizan. Framed behind glass with a black mat. Condition clearly reflects age and wear, with paper browning, water stains, creases and fold marks, scuffing, partial discoloration, significant fading, and loss of color intensity. Individual areas are stained and scuffed; the surface appears generally worn.