Skip to content
Home
Favourites
0
Advanced search
Shopping cart
0
Register
Log in
Images of Edinburgh
Browse map
Area A - Z
Browse by date
Exhibitions
Current exhibition
All exhibitions
Collections
About the collections
Browse by theme
Subject A - Z
The image library for the collections of Edinburgh Libraries and Museums and Galleries
Images of Edinburgh
Browse map
Area A - Z
Browse by date
Exhibitions
Current exhibition
All exhibitions
Collections
About the collections
Browse by theme
Subject A - Z
Subject matches "Parasols" or its children
Back to search results
Tayu and Kamuro
Unknown, 1912, Photograph, Postcard
Item
of 27
Tayu and Kamuro
Tayu and Kamuro
Add to favourites
Share
Item record
About this image
Related
Location
Category
Library Item
Item no
16616
Title
Tayu and Kamuro
Artist / maker
Unknown
Date
1912
Size
9.0 x 14.0 cm
Type
Photograph
;
Postcard
Location
Art and Design Library
There were several ranks of prostitute in Japan. 'Tayu' refers to the highest ranking courtesan who was highly educated. Tayu women had studied since childhood and their numbers were very limited in the Yosiwara quarter. A tayu was highly cultured and familiar with classical literature, musical instruments, poetry, calligraphy, dance and flower arranging. Therefore they were very proud and could choose their customers and spending time with a tayu was very expensive. The young girls are 'kamuro', meaning apprentice. Clever, good-looking girls were chosen as kamuro and were normally under the 10 years old. They had to learn a lot so that they could become tayu in the future. Kamuro served tayu and the tayu paid the kamuro's expenses. The Chinese characters (tayu) and their luxurious kimono (Japanese traditional clothes) show their status in this picture.
Exhibitions with this item
Japanese Postcard Views
Other views of this item
Related images
Related subjects
Clothing and dress
>
Accessories
>
Headdresses
Clothing and dress
>
Accessories
>
Parasols
Clothing and dress
>
Garments
>
Kimonos
People
>
Adults
>
Women
People
>
Children
>
Girls
Places
>
Asia
>
Japan
More like this