Okita from the Kansei Era, Japan

Friendship Gift Postcard, Sender: Leo Baluyot
Sent on 01 April 2013, Sent from Narita Airport T1, Japan
Received on 10 April 2013, Traveled 13,183 km in 9 days

Leo wrote: Here's some tea to relieve your stress from all the DRMP (residency) stuff. Konichiwa from Tokyo!

Reading on the internet about the artwork on this postcard was very interesting. I learned that Okita was a waitress, depicted on this artwork serving a cup of tea. She's a waitress at the Naniwaya Teahouse, near the Niomon Gate in the grounds of the Asakusa Kannon Temple She was reputed to be one of the Three Beauties of the Kansei era (1789-1801). *

The postcard is a reproduction of the original ukiyo-e artwork by Utamaro Kitagawa, one of the famed woodblock painters in the Japanese rich artistic and cultural history. Ukiyo-e means "pictures of the floating life (or everyday life)". This artistic style was most prominent during the 17th up to mid 19th century Japan, also known as the Edo period.

Submitting this card for Beth's Postcard Friendship Friday.

Happy weekend everyone!

~maria

Source: http://www.adachi-hanga.com/en_ukiyo-e/item/utamaro060.htm