Japanese arts and crafts shop Goodies

Chilly Month (kisaragi), second month:

Acoording to one theory, the Japanese term for this month, kisaragi, referes to those days when it turns suddenly chilly, and by extension, the term takes on the meaning of bundling up against the cold.  Hear we see a high-ranking courtesan reading a letter, wearing thick overlapping layers of clothing, which alludes perhaps to the name of this month.  The composition is quite stable and perfectly suited to te oval framework of the fan, highlighted by the slightly inclined, erectile posture of the courtesan and the curvature of the hem of her outer garmets.  The look of concentration on her face is also quite well done.

The back side of the fan, showing a kitten among the hems of her gowns, peering up at a conjugal pair of butterflies in flight, both amuses and evokes movement when contrasted with the donward gaze of the courtesan on the front side.  In regard to the butterflies, I am uncertain whether Toyokuni was aware of it, but I am reminded of te poem by Izen published in the haiku anthology Monkey's Raincoat Continued (Zoku Sarumino) in 1698, which may be paraphrased as flollws: ''Bundling up against the chill, overlapping clothes, and the cold wings of a butterfly.''  This print exudes an inexpressible aura of elegance.

The artist was the illustrious Utagawa Toyokuni I (1769-1825), who was steeped in the traditions of the Utagawa school.  This has been produced based on the surviving original woodblocks for the series.