Elderly Geisha (Rōgi)
Two elderly geisha, serenely posed and elegantly attired are enjoying a quiet moment, perhaps before they have to entertain guests later in the evening. On the right, the woman holds a long-stemmed kiseru pipe while she takes a pinch of tobacco from a small purple silk purse lined in a soft blue; in front of her the simple wooden tray holds a small ceramic brazier with charcoal already glowing, and beside it is a matching receptacle for the ashes. Her companion on the left peruses a book of libretti for Jōruri puppet plays, perhaps reviewing what songs she will recite to clients later to the accompaniment of the shamisen in front of her; the red brocade purse likely also holds the bachi (plectrum) for her instrument.
Geisha and their young apprentices referred to as maiko are among the most common subjects of early twentieth-century Nihonga. Yet in the Japanese tradition—dating back at least to the seventeenth century and epitomized by Ukiyo-e prints and paintings portraying courtesans and female performers—bijinga (paintings of beautiful women) as a rule celebrate the feminine ideal as embodied by youthful women. During the Taishō period, however, the changes in Japanese women’s social status impacted this attitude towards the conventions of bijinga. A new generation of artists pushed the boundaries of traditional subject matter to create truthful depictions of working women and the elderly. Their approach was often criticized by exhibition judges and the public as “vulgar” not only for their choice of unidealized subjects but also for their style, influenced by the realistic techniques of Western oil painting. Created in 1936, a decade after the close of the Taishō period, Chōko’s Elderly Geisha exemplifies both the legacy of Taishō humanism and the classicizing trend of early Shōwa Nihonga. Originally exhibited as a pair of hanging scrolls at the 1936 Bunten exhibition and then directly acquired by the prominent collection Hosokawa Rikizō, they were later conserved and remounted as a wide half-height two-panel screen.
Born in Tokyo, Chōko studied Yamato-e (traditional Japan painting) and became a specialist in figure painting. A precocious talent, when he was still only seventeen, he received the third-place award at the first Bunten exhibition of 1907. During the Taishō and early Shōwa periods, he was a frequent participant in the government-sponsored exhibitions, usually submitting paintings of historical figures and conventional bijinga. He also began illustrating books in the late 1930s, and after WWII he achieved a reputation as an accomplished illustrator of popular historical novels.
Geisha and their young apprentices referred to as maiko are among the most common subjects of early twentieth-century Nihonga. Yet in the Japanese tradition—dating back at least to the seventeenth century and epitomized by Ukiyo-e prints and paintings portraying courtesans and female performers—bijinga (paintings of beautiful women) as a rule celebrate the feminine ideal as embodied by youthful women. During the Taishō period, however, the changes in Japanese women’s social status impacted this attitude towards the conventions of bijinga. A new generation of artists pushed the boundaries of traditional subject matter to create truthful depictions of working women and the elderly. Their approach was often criticized by exhibition judges and the public as “vulgar” not only for their choice of unidealized subjects but also for their style, influenced by the realistic techniques of Western oil painting. Created in 1936, a decade after the close of the Taishō period, Chōko’s Elderly Geisha exemplifies both the legacy of Taishō humanism and the classicizing trend of early Shōwa Nihonga. Originally exhibited as a pair of hanging scrolls at the 1936 Bunten exhibition and then directly acquired by the prominent collection Hosokawa Rikizō, they were later conserved and remounted as a wide half-height two-panel screen.
Born in Tokyo, Chōko studied Yamato-e (traditional Japan painting) and became a specialist in figure painting. A precocious talent, when he was still only seventeen, he received the third-place award at the first Bunten exhibition of 1907. During the Taishō and early Shōwa periods, he was a frequent participant in the government-sponsored exhibitions, usually submitting paintings of historical figures and conventional bijinga. He also began illustrating books in the late 1930s, and after WWII he achieved a reputation as an accomplished illustrator of popular historical novels.
Artwork Details
- 鴨下晁湖筆 「老妓図」
- Title: Elderly Geisha (Rōgi)
- Artist: Kamoshita Chōko (Japanese, 1890–1967)
- Period: Shōwa period (1926–89)
- Date: 1936
- Culture: Japan
- Medium: Pair of hanging scrolls remounted as a two-panel screen; ink and color on silk
- Dimensions: Image: 50 3/8 in. × 8 ft. 4 in. (128 × 254 cm)
Overall: 51 3/4 in. × 8 ft. 6 1/2 in. (131.4 × 260.4 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Purchase, Sachiko and Lawrence Goodman Gift, 2023
- Object Number: 2023.10
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Unidentified artist
early 20th century
Inoue Yūichi
1966
Shinoda Tōkō
1982
Shinoda Tōkō
1984
Unidentified artist
Zhou Wenju
early 20th century
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.