Geisha

Japan

Japanese

taikomochi

hokan

Geisha are traditional Japanese artist-entertainers. The word geisha literally means "art person" or "artisan". Geisha were very common in the 18th and 19th centuries, and are still in existence today, although their numbers are dwindling. The geisha tradition evolved from the taikomochi or hokan, similar to court jesters. The first geisha were all male; as women began to take the role they were known as onna geisha, or "woman geisha". Geisha today are exclusively female. In this screensaver enjoy 55 woodblock prints of Geisha from master Japanese artists of the mid to late 1800s.