Maiko Sayaka performing her dance during the Erikae ceremony

Title

Creator

Russel Wong

Year/Period

2011

Region

Kyoto, Japan

Object Type

digital photographic prints, digital fine art prints

Material

rag paper, ink

Technique

photographic processes, printing (process)

Dimension

Image size: 25.0 x 38.0 cm,
Frame size: 41.3 x 54.0 cm,
Image size: 23.0 x 35.6 cm

Accession No.

2021-01102

Collection of

Asian Civilisations Museum

Credit Line

Gift of Russel Wong

Maiko Sayaka performing her dance during the Erikae ceremonyKyoto, 2011Archival pigment print on photo ragA maiko performs a dance called kuro-kami (literally, black hair) in front of clients before her Erikae ("turning of the collar") ceremony. This dance and the ceremony mark the point at which a maiko becomes a geiko. The Erikae ceremony often happens over the course of two weeks, as a maiko gradually prepares herself to become a geiko. During that time, she changes her hairstyle, blackens her teeth, receives her geiko name, then changes her collar (eri) from red to white.