Main content
Art of Asia
Course: Art of Asia > Unit 4
Lesson 11: Edo period (1615–1868)- Edo period, an introduction
- Tea bowl with dragon roundels
- Scenes from The Tale of Genji
- Genji Ukifune
- Dog chasing
- A portrait of St. Francis Xavier and Christianity in Japan
- Ogata Kōrin, Red and White Plum Blossoms
- Hon’ami Kōetsu, Folding Screen mounted with poems
- Archery practice
- The evolution of ukiyo-e and woodblock prints
- Utagawa Kunisada I, Visiting Komachi, from the series Modern Beauties as the Seven Komachi
- Hokusai, Under the Wave off Kanagawa (The Great Wave)
- Beyond the Great Wave — Hokusai at 90
- Hokusai’s printed illustrated books
- Hokusai, Five Beautiful Women
- The Floating World of Edo Japan
- Hunting for fireflies
- Street scene in the pleasure quarter of Edo Japan
- Courtesan playing with a cat
- Courtesans of the South Station
- An introduction to Kabuki theater
- The actor Ichikawa Danzo IV in a Shibaraku role
- Fire procession costume
- Arrival of a Portuguese ship
- Matchlock gun and pistol
- Military camp jacket
- Military leader's fan
- An American ship
- The steamship Powhatan
- Conserving the Gan Ku Tiger scroll painting at the British Museum
© 2023 Khan AcademyTerms of usePrivacy PolicyCookie Notice
Courtesans of the South Station
Scholars Melinda Takeuchi and Timon Screech discuss a woodblock print of courtesans in an unlicensed pleasure quarter during the Edo period (1615–1868) in Japan. Created by Asian Art Museum.
Want to join the conversation?
WHy the emphasis on the courtesan in Japanese art? Were there portraits of noblewomen or couples or other segments of the population?(3 votes)
The possibilities are endless. It could be that Japanese artists, with all of Japan to choose from, only chose to depict courtesans. It could be that valuable art of other subjects didn't survive, or it could be that because these items were wood block prints, so many were made that we have more of these subjects.
It could, however, be a result of the selectors at the Asian Art Museum or Khan Academy preferring to share art about courtesans rather than about any of the other myriad subjects available to them.(2 votes)
If telescopes were being imported around the Edo period as a expensive commodity, were compasses also something of expense?(1 vote)