Saturday, September 15, 2007

U M E S H I Z U


U M E S H I Z U, originally uploaded by mboogiedown.

"Yasunari Kawabata, the first Japanese to win the nobel prize (1968) once wrote "If for no other reason than to preserve traditional hairstyles, the geisha's existance is vital. I wonder how and when these hairstyles developed."

"Japanese men, as a rule, feel about a woman's neck and throat about the same way as men in the west feel about a woman's legs. This is why geisha wear the collars of their kimono so low in the back...I suppose that its like a woman in Paris wearing a short skirt." Sayuri, in 'Memoirs of a Geisha' by Aurthur Golden.

Umeshizu has only recently become a full-fledged geisha in the Kamishichiken district of Kyoto. As a geiko, she no longer styles her own hair, but has the privledge of wearing a special wig called a katsura. The large, flashy hair ornaments have been replaced by small, subtle hairpins and combs. Her collar is pure white. As a geiko advances in skill and experience, she relies less on her clothing, accessories and make-up to make her appear beautiful. Her beauty is in her skills as an artist."

Thursday, September 13, 2007

U M E S H I Z U: ohikae


U M E S H I Z U: ohikae, originally uploaded by mboogiedown.

"Delivering tea to the guests among the plum blossoms of Kitano Tenmangu shrine, Kyoto.

Umeshizu has only recently become a full-fledged geisha in the Kamishichiken district of Kyoto. As a geiko, she no longer styles her own hair, but has the privledge of wearing a special wig called a katsura. The large, flashy hair ornaments have been replaced by small, subtle hairpins and combs. Her collar is pure white. As a geiko advances in skill and experience, she relies less on her clothing, accessories and make-up to make her appear beautiful. Her beauty is in her skills as an artist."

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

U M E S H I Z U: Tea


U M E S H I Z U: Tea, originally uploaded by mboogiedown.

"Even amongst the Japanese, geisha are mysterious and exotic. Here, Umeshizu is admired by an older Japanese woman as she begins to prepare matcha, powdered green tea, in a tea ceremony.

Umeshizu has only recently become a full-fledged geisha in the Kamishichiken district of Kyoto. As a geiko, she no longer styles her own hair, but has the privledge of wearing a special wig called a katsura. The large, flashy hair ornaments have been replaced by small, subtle hairpins and combs. Her collar is pure white. As a geiko advances in skill and experience, she relies less on her clothing, accessories and make-up to make her appear beautiful. Her beauty is in her skills as an artist."

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

S M I L E : Katsuya


S M I L E : Katsuya, originally uploaded by mboogiedown.

"Katsuya is another young geiko who only recently "turned her collar" to become a full-fledged geisha. "Turning the Collar" refers to the ceremony in which a maiko, or apprentice geisha, is able to entertain guests on her own, without her big sister. She becomes a true geisha, trading her elaboratey embroidered collar for one of plain white silk, and finally being able to stop her painful weekly hair appointments and wear a special wig called a katsura."

Monday, September 10, 2007

National Types Of Beauty - #26 - China

"Sarony Cigarettes - Series of 36 (1928)"