
Wearing luxurious tortoiseshell hairpins and a fancy comb, the woman depicted here is a prostitute. The fan held in front of her chest is embellished with a view of Shinagawa bay, where the pleasure quarter at which she works is located. The poem inscribed on the fan describes her reputation as a beauty of the bay area, which was nicknamed the southern quarter because it was located south of Edo castle. Beach landscapes, in general, were a popular subject for fan prints.