You can see another nice variant image from the same photoshoot at Naomi no Kimono Asobi's photostream here : www.flickr.com/photos/kimonoasobi/3384031500/
This is a nice studio image of a Geisha named EIRYU, who along with so many others, made fortunes for the owners of the Geisha Houses, photographers, and the postcard-sellers who peddled huge amounts of their photographs to both native and tourist alike. Photos such as this, with odd or unique content would always catch the eye.
The snow shovel is interesting, as well as the cultural take on what a "snowman" was in old Japan -- formed after the ubiquitous and ever-popular DARUMA dolls.
Of course, the snow is just more summertime "special effects" using cotton fluff -- or whatever it was that they stuffed the FUTON with in those days. Notice the high stilts of her GETA "shoes" to keep her feet dry as she shovels snow. But seriously, do you think that a Geisha girl will be out shoveling snow in THIS beautiful get-up and hair-style, while clearing a path to the Geisha House for her customers?
Hmmmm. That Kimono. It looks like one stage in an M.C. Escher print that was still yet to come. Perhaps a few of the birds on her Kimono got tired of waiting, and eventually flew right into the THIRD PANEL of Echer's METAMORPHOSIS print -- made about thirty years after this photo was taken. www.globalgallery.com/prod_images/esc-e33.jpg
Ca.1900-10 late Meiji-era photograph by an unknown Japanese photographer.
RANDOM SOBA : www.flickriver.com/photos/24443965@N08/random/
ggaabboo, Quito sometimes Marcos, DinoAndPtero, Jasmine T., and 81 other people added this photo to their favorites.
hincman, too 60 months ago | reply
OMG!!!
LOVE the snow man!!
hisui (jade green) 60 months ago | reply
The mysterious affinity between the Kimono pattern and the Escher's print...
Your captions are always interesting and I appreciate it a lot.
Your devoted reader
Tokis-Phoenix 60 months ago | reply
Hah, thats so cool- a daruma snowman lol :P ! I'm so gonna make one of those if it snows this winter ^_^ .
With the "snowman" itself, it looks like it has some kinda of frosted fabric draped over it, you can see a few creases where the fabric has been tucked in under the snowman. Manryu must have been so hot under that super thick looking padded winter kimono, she's a real pro to keep her cool composure like that in a hot studio in full on layered winter kimono wear ^_^ .
ykat1600 60 months ago | reply
The snowman so cute!!!
Muiz_ 59 months ago | reply
That's no snowman! That's a snow sumo! So cool!
Okinawa Soba 59 months ago | reply
Snow SUMO ??? LOL.
Muiz_ 59 months ago | reply
or shall we call it . . . . a Snumo? Man I better copyright that before it catches on! :D
dudlik 59 months ago | reply
Amusing design ^_^
Я ə и z [moved to my 2nd account] 53 months ago | reply
the snowman is sooooooooo kawaii!!
prettyharu 52 months ago | reply
AWWW!! a snow man!! ^_^
Naomi no Kimono Asobi 51 months ago | reply
Looks like my recent addition to my collection is a part of a set!
www.flickr.com/photos/kimonoasobi/3384031500/
James_Anthonyc 48 months ago | reply
If i were to ever imagine a japanese snowman that's what I would think of. It's the pac-man ghost made from a cotton towel.
geisha_lover 36 months ago | reply
the snowman reminds me of domo-kun!