Hand tinted image. A young japanese practices Japanese calligraphy with a bamboo-handled writing brush. She writes Japanese alphabets on a pad of Japanese paper while she kneels at a wooden desk. Also visible on this desk is suzuri (ink stone) and sumi (ink stick) used in the writing process, and a small, round vase containing two flowers. The girl wears a white apron over a patterned kimono, and has a large bow in her hair. She kneels on a small floor cushion on top of a woven straw mat. In the background is what appears to be a studio backdrop.
Hand tinted image. A Japanese child dressed in a kimono holds an umbrella as she poses for a studio portrait. The kimono contains decorative patterns on its surface, and a piece of material called an obi is wrapped around her waist. She wears a pair of sandles with a thick wooden sole (called geta), and a large bow in her hair. The umbrella has a long bamboo handle, and bamboo woven support. A flower and bird pattern can be seen on the surface of the umbrella. The girl stands on a piece of creased material. Straw is visible in the foremost area of the image. An out-of-focus painted landscape backdrop is visible in the background.
Hand tinted image. Young Geisha girls, called Maiko, dressed in colorful kimonos with long sleeves and high wooden shoes, called Koppori, sit on a lattice wooden bench. The girls hold folding fans and wear special hair accessories. Five women , two okami (the name for the head woman of a Geisha house) and three Geisha girls, are seated behind a bamboo partition. A wooden dwelling with screens covering its windows is visible in the background. The white and blue color drapes with red tassels are hung from the roof for a special occasion, such as a festival. Two individuals, one wearing a wide brimmed hat, and the other a kimono, are visible in the background.
Hand tinted image. Two Asian girls holding long wooden poles spar in front of a row of kneeling girls who are also holding long wooden poles. The girls are dressed in loose, long-sleeved shirts, and long skirts. A woman who appears to be a teacher stands viewing the fencing match. In the distance a low stone wall, dwellings, and trees are visible.
