I've been wanting to make a good Oiran piece for a while now. My technique has gotten better since my last attempt at an Oiran, along with my knowledge of their appearance, so I definitely felt it was time to try this again.

The script on the left is hiragana for Komurasaki, the Oiran's name (the name does have kanji, using the characters little and purple). Komurasaki was a famous line in Yoshiwara, and many of the greatest courtesans held this name. The Komurasaki came from the famous Corner Tamaya Bordello in Yoshiwara. The Corner Tamaya was famous in its long history for producing infamous courtesans and lines, and it was one of the last houses to have Tayuu (along with the Great Miura), the predecessors of Oiran.

Oiran were the greatest class of courtesan in the later Edo Period, and were famous for their incredible skills and accomplishments. An Oiran was often famous not for her skills in the boudoir, but for her skills with the Koto (Japanese harp), calligraphy, or tea ceremony. A lot of time was devoted to their tutelage starting from their time as Kamuro, child assistants/servants. Kamuro entered the bordellos at young ages, sometimes as young as six (but often closer to ten), so that's quite a lot of time to train these girls into such refined ladies. Still, there was always a tinge of gaudiness to the Oiran. They lived in the era of Iki, or subtle and refined elegance, in which outer kimono were plain with stripes and checks while the linings were the works of art. Hair ornaments were worn individually, and make-up was worn lightly. In Iki, less was more, and the exuberance of the Oiran's appearance was the antithesis of this.