Mamefuji & Wisteria
Mamefuji & Wisteria
The print “Mamefuji & Wisteria” features the maiko Mamefuji of Gion Kobu in May, a month that has special significance to her.
May is important to Mamefuji because of her name and the month’s hair ornament. Fuji, the second part of her name, is the Japanese word for wisteria, and maiko in Kyoto wear wisteria hair ornaments only in May. Wisteria and the fifth month are intertwined in Japanese culture.
When I said goodbye to Mamefuji after photographing her on the third day of her misedashi period in December 2013, I asked her when I should photograph her next. She told me that fuji kanzashi were her favorite, so I told her I would photograph her next in May, which I did in 2014 and 2015.
This portrait was made in May 2015. Mamefuji retired as a maiko just before May 2016, but she returned as a geiko late in 2019.
PRINT DETAILS:
‣A Timed Edition print created from my original image. The print is not signed or numbered, and it will be available from December 11 - 15, 2023 only.
‣Sizes: 5 x 7 inches & 10 x 14 inches
‣Borders: ½ inch on the 5 x 7 and 1-inch on the 10 x 14
‣Paper: Moab Lasal Exhibition Luster paper (300 gsm) with satin finish
‣Archival Life: 100 years when framed with UV filter glass
‣Packaging: Your print will be placed in a plastic print sleeve and then carefully rolled and packed in a shipping tube for maximum protection.
‣Shipping: Although I am based in Japan, prints will be shipped from the United States via USPS First Class Mail (2-5 days) or USPS First Class International Mail (2-3 weeks). Prints are shipped unmatted and unframed.
US residents, order by Tuesday, December 12 for guaranteed Christmas delivery. Sadly, I cannot guarantee delivery by Christmas for anyone living outside the US, a very large group that includes me!
‣Any questions, please visit my FAQ or drop me a line.
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Testimonials:
“The quality is awesome and I can’t wait to have them professionally framed.” P.S. in Australia
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“A month or so ago, I put up a photograph that I purchased from John Paul Foster in my small bedroom, and it has given me undeniable pleasure. Foster’s portrait of a geisha against an intense sky-blue background blends in with blue-green walls of the room so much so that it looks like it was meant to be there. And the peacefulness of Foster’s portrait perfectly complements the other portraits of women I have placed on the walls of my room: an edgy etching by a French painter of his muse, an etching by John Sloan of a women working at a desk, and a print of a woman reading, by a painter unknown to me. Foster’s photographs, with their intense colors and moods, are like Japanese woodblock paintings. His women are mysterious and captivating. I am happy to have such beautiful artwork close at hand.” J.L.P. in New York
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