Konami of the Kurahashiya in the Front Group of Musicians (Saki-bayashi), from the series Costume Parade of the Shinmachi Quarter in Osaka (Ōsaka Shinmachi nerimono) 1822

Yanagawa Shigenobu created this woodblock print titled "Konami of the Kurahashiya" sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century. It’s from a series that documents the costume parade of the Shinmachi quarter in Osaka. The print offers us a glimpse into the licensed pleasure districts of Edo-period Japan, spaces that existed outside the strict social norms of the time. Here, a courtesan is depicted not just as an object of desire, but as a performer, an artist, and a cultural figure. The series title suggests a "Costume Parade," hinting at the performative aspects of identity and the construction of desire. The courtesan’s elaborate kimono and hairstyle were potent signifiers of status and wealth within this contained world, but also a reflection of broader societal values around beauty and status. The fan she holds, adorned with delicate blossoms, serves both as a prop and a symbol of the ephemeral nature of beauty and pleasure. As viewers, we are invited into a complex social space, one that challenges traditional gender roles and celebrates a vibrant, if contained, female culture.