The Courtesan Hinazuru of the Chōjiya Brothel - Chōbunsai Eishi

A refined ukiyo-e woodblock print by Chōbunsai Eishi, portraying the elegant courtesan Hinazuru from the series Beauties of the Pleasure Quarters.

This woodblock print by Chōbunsai Eishi depicts the courtesan Hinazuru, a celebrated figure from the Chōjiya brothel in the Yoshiwara district of Edo. The work belongs to the series Beauties of the Pleasure Quarters as Six Floral Immortals, a collection that aligns the most fashionable women of the era with traditional poetic and floral motifs. Eishi, a former painter in the service of the Tokugawa shogunate, brought a refined sensibility to the ukiyo-e genre, moving away from the exaggerated proportions seen in earlier works by other masters.

Hinazuru is shown in a seated posture, holding a fan decorated with floral patterns. Her kimono features a subtle, repeating motif, and her hair is styled with multiple ornamental pins, indicating her high status within the pleasure quarters. The composition is balanced, with the figure occupying the majority of the frame, while the background includes a small table and a scroll, suggesting a domestic or private setting. The colour palette is restrained, relying on soft tones that allow the viewer to focus on the grace of the subject's pose and the precision of the line work.

Eishi was known for his slender, elongated figures, which became a hallmark of his style during the 1790s. This print captures the aesthetic ideals of the period, where the courtesan was viewed as a model of fashion and cultural sophistication. The inclusion of the series title and the artist's signature in the cartouches provides context for the print's production as part of a larger, thematic project. The work remains a clear example of the technical skill involved in Edo-period printmaking, from the initial drawing to the carving of the woodblocks and the final application of pigment.