Couortisane prepares for the night Evening glow for the first time the bed is spread Shikizome no sekish? (title on object) Eight faces of the courtesan quarter (series title) Kuruwa hakkei (series title on object A courtesan takes off her purple handwarmers by candlelight, in preparation for the night. With one poem. The concept of 'Eight faces' stems from Chinese poetry, after which it was taken over by Chinese painting, and then the Japanese. It was one of the first themes used in Japanese print art, combining it with famous places around Lake Biwa in the province of ?mi (Eight views of ?mi), or for example the capital Edo (Eight views of the Eastern capital). It is also frequently used in other compositions, such as the various parts of the day, generally depicted in combination with fashion-conscious ladies. Utagawa Sadakage (mentioned on object), Japan, 1832, paper, colour woodcut, h 209 mm ⊙ w 184 mm.