Haku Rei

English title: White Pretty Water

Dimension: 15 x 22 in.

Date: ca. 1910

This advertisement juxtaposes famous Japanese courtesan Shizu Tamakai alongside a caricature of an African, most likely to highlight the exotic abilities of this whitening cleanser. Shizu Tamakai was one of the most well known geisha in Japan in the early 1900s, and appears in many photographs, advertisements and posters of the time. However, finding racial caricatures with this level of exaggeration is quite rare. Nicholas Klofkorn Other information (library catalogue, links to websites etc.):, opens in a new window A duplicate of this poster was in exhibition in Osaka Prefectural Library. I also found an online “antique” website selling copies of this poster for 7,000 yen. http://hakushakukan.ocnk.net/product-list/2?page=6, opens in a new window