Art Archive • Utamaro
Ukiyo-e
Three Beauties
Takashima Ohisa Holding a Fan
高島おひさ（団扇を持つ）
Ohisa, daughter of a Ryōgoku rice-cracker shop, captivated Edo. Utamaro distills her “intellectual sharpness” and metropolitan flair into one ōkubi-e with the shop fan as identity badge.
Fan crest — the triple paulownia (mitsubashi) of Takashima-ya is drawn with care; the fan advertises the shop as much as the woman.
Collar technique — lines from nape to collar show Utamaro’s sketch-era training; each hair at the hairline reads as a living stroke.
Over-the-shoulder glance — the slight turn and backward look carry Edo modesty and confidence together.
What Edo scene lies beyond her gaze? The blank margin invites you to imagine.
Made by hand
Drawn by Kitagawa Utamaro, about ca. 1795.
Extended Japanese viewing notes: 高島おひさ（団扇を持つ）.