Yoshiwara Courtesans : a New Mirror Comparing the Calligraphy of Beauties (Yoshiwara keisei: Shin bijin awase jihitsu kagami)
This is a Japanese illustrated book of 1784 by Santō Kyōden, printed in Edo for readers interested in the Yoshiwara pleasure quarter, and it pairs courtesan portraits with calligraphy. The pictures show elegant women in layered patterned kimono, seated and standing in interiors with sliding screens, lacquer boxes and writing sheets. A designer might take from them the dense ukiyo-e textile patterning, the contrast of dark and pale garments, and the calligraphic verses set beside figures.
