『雛形若菜の初模様 扇屋内 七越』|The Courtesan Nanakoshi of the Ōgiya Brothel, from the series “A Pat-tern Book of the Year’s First Designs, Fresh as Spring Herbs” (“Hinagata wakana no hatsu moyō”)

Executed with traditional woodblock methods, the image combines black line work with layered pigments of red, pink, and earth tones. Koryūsai employs bold outlines to define the intricate kimono designs, while subtle cross‑hatching adds depth to the figures and background. The composition balances flat decorative surfaces with a sense of three‑dimensional space, characteristic of late Edo period prints.

The print was produced for a pattern book that circulated new designs among merchants and patrons of fashion. After circulating in Japan, it entered the Western art market in the early twentieth century and was acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains on view as part of the museum’s Japanese prints collection.

During the 1770s, the Ōgiya brothel was one of several licensed pleasure houses in Edo that served as hubs for cultural exchange. Prints like this served both as advertisements for the establishments and as visual records of contemporary dress. Koryūsai’s work reflects the growing consumer appetite for fashionable imagery and the role of ukiyo-e in documenting urban life.