Japan Geisha Collection Phase - Here is one of the few Geisha inspired art works I still own.

There were many collections that interested me for a while, about 15 years of internet auctions, was a great business, in the good old days when you could find a treasure trove of all kinds on Ebay for instance. You could have thousands of one category items to look at, this might take days to do. It was hard to keep up.

Often the sellers did not know what they had, so a little search was useful. I assembled a variety of sites and reference books and many people did the same thing. I think 2008 was the end of that great era. My best year was 2007, parcels were a constant in and out everyday occurance.

I love Japanese textiles and kimonos. Because I prefer natural fibers, the vintage Japanese garments were beautiful and valuable. Silk, cotton and wool were what they used, and handmade was the norm.

The geisha and her wardrobe was meant to entice men, and be highly attractive and vibrant in color. I had many hand painted geisha ladies on fine silk, framed and hung on the wall. They used to be exported from Japan during the mid 20th century in fancy cardboard portfolios with ribbons to keep them safely closed.

This needlework textile geisha was a rare example, about 20 years old when I got it, and that was 10 years ago. Probably needs a cleaning, but still bright in spite of that. Other image is a painted charming geisha scene on a silk panel and framed with a glass front, I had for a while.

Before and after cleaning, gentle soak in dish soap and warm water, roll flat in a towel, and the contrasting colors are more pronounced. Image 1 and 3, not framed yet.