Koryusai - Court Beauty Beneath Rising Sun - Pillar Print

Isoda Koryūsai (active c. 1769–1788)

Date: c. 1775–1785
Genre: Ukiyo-e, Bijin-ga
Medium: Woodblock Print, Hashira-e (Pillar Print)
Size: Approx. 28in x 5in

This original, rare Japanese woodblock print by Isoda Koryūsai depicts an elegant court beauty dressed in richly patterned robes beneath a dramatic sky filled with stylized clouds and a rising sun. She steps forward into the frame wearing her tabi socks. The figure wears a formal eboshi-style court cap and garments decorated with auspicious motifs.

Created during the height of the Edo period, the print exemplifies Koryūsai's refined approach to bijin-ga (pictures of beautiful women). The tall, narrow composition is characteristic of hashira-e, or pillar prints, a distinctive format designed to decorate the wooden pillars of traditional Japanese interiors. Delicate linework, graceful drapery, and a serene expression reflect the sophisticated elegance that made Koryūsai one of the most influential artists of the eighteenth century.

Artist Signature: "Koryūsai ga" (Drawn by Koryūsai)

Condition: Good color and impression. Not backed. Some fading. Light creasing as shown. Silver ink on fan.