Artwork

The Geisha Motozuru (?) of Kaideya as a Dancer in Court Robes (from the series The Parade in the Shimmachi District of Osaka)

The Geisha Motozuru (?) of Kaideya as a Dancer in Court Robes (from the series The Parade in the Shimmachi District of Osaka) is a print by the Romanticist artist Yanagawa Shigenobu. It dates from 1824 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

The woman's clothing and hairstyle suggest that she is a geisha, and the fan and sword she is holding may be props for a performance.

This painting shows a woman dressed in traditional Japanese clothing, holding a fan and a sword. She is wearing a black robe with an orange sash and has her hair styled in an updo. The background is a light yellow color.

The woman's clothing and hairstyle suggest that she is a geisha, and the fan and sword she is holding may be props for a performance. The painting's style and use of color are reminiscent of Japanese art from the early 19th century.

If you're interested in learning more about Japanese art from this time period, you might want to explore the Romanticism movement.

Overview

Created around 1824 by the ukiyo‑e artist Yanagawa Shigenobu, this woodblock print belongs to the series depicting the annual parade in Osaka’s Shimmachi district. The work is titled The Geisha Motozuru of Kaideya as a Dancer in Court Robes and is part of the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection.

Subject & Meaning

The image presents a female performer dressed in a formal black court robe accented with an orange sash, her hair arranged in a traditional updo. She holds a fan in one hand and a sword in the other, suggesting stage props used by geisha entertainers during festive processions.

Technique & Style

Executed in the early‑nineteenth‑century ukiyo‑e manner, the print combines bold outlines with flat areas of color, notably the light‑yellow background that frames the figure. The composition emphasizes decorative patterning on the garment and the contrast between the dark robe and vivid sash, hallmarks of Shigenobu’s graphic approach.

History & Provenance

The print was produced as part of a series documenting Osaka’s Shimmachi parade, a popular subject for Edo‑period prints. It entered the Cleveland Museum of Art’s holdings through acquisition in the twentieth century, where it remains a representative example of regional festival imagery in Japanese print culture.