Hour of the Ox

One of the most overtly sexual prints in the collection, this image shows a courtesan rising from her bed, tissues in hand, on her way to the toilet. It is from a set of twelve prints showing the daily life of oiran, the highest-ranking courtesans of the Yoshiwara. Each of the prints corresponds to one of twelve two-hour intervals, beginning with the so-called “Hour of the Rat” around midnight. The hours are designated in the bell at the top of each print’s clockshaped cartouche.
The hour of the ox, shown here, is about two in the morning. Even in her dishabille, the courtesan presents an elegant figure, dressed in what appears to be a gauze-weave silk robe with chrysanthemum crests and morning glories around the hem. Her gown is fastened in the front with a soft sash, as was typically worn for sleeping. She carries folded paper tissues (kaishi) in one hand as she lights her way with a match-like sliver of pine soaked in oil (shisoku). Slipping on one sandal, she reveals a white leg set in alluring contrast to her red underkimono ( juban). An amulet bag and hand towel rest on the edge of a nearby folding screen—presumably her client is asleep on the other side.
This print shows signs of having been tipped into an album. It may have been part of a set issued in that format.