Suzuki Harunobu (1725-1770) Osen and a young samurai, Edo period, late 18th century

The paulownia crest on the robe of the young woman reveals her to be Osen (1751-1827), a muse of Harunobu's in his older age. Osen was the proprietress of a teashop near the Kasamori Shrine in Edo, her beauty capturing the interest of suitors who came to visit her for her famed looks. The young couple appear in another design by Harunobu, often titled Osen's Teashop (Osen chaya), to which scholars have identified the hooded samurai as the actor Segawa Kikunoju (1751-1810), renowned for his female onnagata roles.¹1. Timon Screech, "Ukiyo-e Artists and the City" in The Artist in Edo, ed. Yukio Lippit, (Washington, 2018), p. 123.