1804, Gion Seitoku, Woman applying makeup (detail) -- National Museum of Asian Art (Washington)
From the museum label: Makeup was an essential part of the identity sex workers projected in the Edo period's (1603-1868) brothel culture. Faces were covered in white powder layered onto a wax base. Afterwards, black-colored liner was applied to accent the eyes and red was used to color the lips (beni). Iridescent red was particularly desired and expensive. During a brief period between the early 1800s and 1830s, green pigment was popular for accentuating the lips, as seen in these two paintings. Called sasabeni, or "bamboo grass lip coloring," it was extracted from safflowers. When wet, the pigment was red and turned green when dry.
1804, Gion Seitoku, Woman applying makeup (detail) -- National Museum of Asian Art (Washington)
From the museum label: Makeup was an essential part of the identity sex workers projected in the Edo period's (1603-1868) brothel culture. Faces were covered in white powder layered onto a wax base. Afterwards, black-colored liner was applied to accent the eyes and red was used to color the lips (beni). Iridescent red was particularly desired and expensive. During a brief period between the early 1800s and 1830s, green pigment was popular for accentuating the lips, as seen in these two paintings. Called sasabeni, or "bamboo grass lip coloring," it was extracted from safflowers. When wet, the pigment was red and turned green when dry.