Five courtesans from the Ōgiya pleasure house make flower arrangements for the Five Festivals of the year

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Titolo dell'opera:

Five courtesans from the Ōgiya pleasure house make flower arrangements for the Five Festivals of the year

Object Type:

ukiyo-e woodblock print

Epoca:

- XVIII

Inventario:

S-1149

Misure:

Unità di misura: cm; Altezza: 38.1; Larghezza: 125.7

Tecnica:

carta giapponese- xilografia

Ultimi prestiti:

Dipinti e stampe del Mondo Fluttuante. Capolavori Ukiyoe del Museo Chiossone di Genova - Genova, Palazzo Ducale - 16 aprile – 21 agosto 2005

Descrizione:

The term gosekku indicates the five most important festivals of the Japanese calendar that are celebrated especially at the change of seasons; -Jinjitsu (festival of the seven herbs), January 7 -Hinamatsuri (festival of the dolls or festival of the girls), March 3 -Kodomo no hi (festival of the children), May 5 -Tanabata (seventh night), July 7 -Kiku no sekku (day of the chrysanthemums), September 9 The Omagaki Ogiya pleasure house commissioned this pentaptych, which depicts five high-ranking courtesans in an interior, each preparing a flower arrangement symbolizing the Gosekku, the "Five Festivals of the Year." The symbolic depiction implies that the Ogiya house is able to satisfy tastes and preferences in all seasons, offering customers the company of elegant and refined women like their arrangements. The advertising effectiveness of this pentaptych must have been excellent, since two other publishers printed additional versions.