Courtisane met rookgerei c. 1795

Eishōsai Chōki created this woodblock print, ‘Courtesan with Smoking Set’ sometime between the late 18th and early 19th century, during Japan’s Edo period. In this period, prints of beautiful women, or *bijin-ga*, were incredibly popular. These prints often depicted courtesans, the fashionable celebrities of their day. Here, Chōki presents a woman in a moment of serene domesticity, as she pauses to prepare her pipe. Yet, the artist also reminds us of her profession through her elaborate hairstyle and elegant kimono. During the Edo period, class distinctions were sharply defined. Courtesans occupied a unique place in this hierarchy, as they were often highly educated and cultured, and they had certain freedoms unavailable to other women. Prints like these played with the tensions between desire, status, and gender roles within the rigid social structure of the time. This print invites us to reflect on the complexities of female identity and representation. By turns idealized and objectified, these women were also figures of power and influence, navigating the intricate social landscape of Edo society.