Geishas are professional women in Japan whose occupation is to entertain men. Geisha means “art person”. They sing, dance and play the samisen. They also have the ability to make conversation. In modern times, they perform in restaurants and teahouses. Geishas arrange flowers, perform tea ceremonies and calligraphy. Their main function is to provide a chic and cheerful atmosphere for her clients. They are dressed in traditional kimonos and delicately mannered. Their skin is painted porcelain white and their lips are painted scarlet red. The origin of the Geisha has several different histories. The earliest Geisha were men known as Taikomochi. They were comedians, storytellers and musicians. The modern day female Geisha emerged in the 17th century. This system was a traditional form of indentured labor. A young girl was sold by her parents to a geisha house which they were trained, taught, clothed and fed for a period of years. It takes a minimum of 5 years to debut as a geisha. When emerging into society, she was known as karyukai which means flower and willow world. She would then begin to earn money to repay her parents’ debt. Geisha houses were solely owned and operated by women. Geisha who were in high demand would receive a large amount of money from their clients. The popularity of geisha in Japan hit its peak in the 1920s. There were as many as 80,000 geisha in Japan. The numbers reduced and by the 20th century there were only a few thousand left. Today, there are only about 1,000 geishas in active service. Geishas are not allowed to use mobile phones but are required to read the newspaper daily to stay current on events. When geishas marry, they retire from the profession. If they do not marry, they retire and become business owners, trainers of young geisha or teachers of dance and music. Geishas are an iconic symbol of Japans devotion to tradition, etiquette and elegance.
The Limoges Oriental Art Painting Box with Ladies is painted with pink cherry blossoms and would add an elegant piece to your collection!
