Suzuki Haruonbu (1725-1770) | Moon (Tsuki) | Edo period, 18th century

A courtesan smokes a kiseru as she gazes at the full moon. Beside her is a black lacquered tray for smoking utensils decorated with two white crane roundels in reserve. Her young attendant brings her shamisen, a three-stringed lute instrument. They wear kimono respectively embroidered with plovers (chidori) in flight above crashing waves and autumn maple leaves (momiji). A spray of bush clover can be spotted outside the window, indicating the autumn season. The title of the series Snow, Moon and Flowers (Setsugekka) alludes to classical ideals of natural beauty in Japanese art and design. The subject became increasingly popular among artists over the course of the Edo period (1615-1868).

For a similar impression of the same print in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, accession number 21.4475, go to: 

https://collections.mfa.org/objects/232152/moon-tsuki-from-the-series-fashionable-snow-moon-and-flo?ctx=14a58f03-b10c-44d7-87a5-f25a4502dd0d&idx=7