Courtesan on parade, with two kamuro and two shinzo

Within the rarefied world of the Yoshiwara, Edo’s licensed pleasure quarter, the most celebrated prostitutes were beyond the reach of all but the wealthiest patrons. Nevertheless, ordinary visitors could view the reigning beauties during their frequent promenades. When venturing into public, a high-ranking prostitute (oiran) was accompanied by a retinue of attendants, including one or two kamuro (female apprentices), a wakaimono (male servant), and one or two shinzō (lower-ranking prostitutes). The somewhat static quality of this print may be Harunobu’s attempt to convey the slow, stylized “figure-eight” gait of the oiran. Such a spectacle, moving slowly through the streets and attracting throngs of onlookers, was an effective means of advertising the great beauties of the Yoshiwara.