File talk:Kitao Shigemasa (1777) Geisha and a servant carrying her shamisen box.jpg

Rename ? Koto or shamisen?

Despite the original LoC source, this has just been renamed from "carrying a koto" to "carrying a shamisen". It's hard to tell within the carrying case, but what indication is there that the original name was incorrect? [1] Boston] give shamisen, and usually they'd be seen as authoritative, but against the LoC? My own bookshelves describe this pretty well-known print as "koto". I can't find clear illustrations of 18th century koto cases, at least not that are clearly distinct from shamisen cases. Andy Dingley (talk) 11:15, 18 December 2015 (UTC)

Hello, Andy Dingley Thanks a lot for uploading! and thank you so much for your good questions. I agree with you. We may have to tell LoC too.

"the original" title is not in English translation varieties but in Japanese called "

芸者と箱屋

"(Geisya to Hakoya) as: [2](Tokyo National Museum)

and I wish I could explain more about 箱屋(Hakoya) and

三味線箱

(Shamisen-bako) in English clearly here but,.

There are some other prints with the subject by different artists, seems it was pretty common as ukiyo-e motif in those days, :[3]

I apologize that I should have renamed this written in Japanese language, which is the original and official title. --Tokorokoko (talk) 10:02, 20 December 2015 (UTC)

Can we answer either of these?

• Is that style of case definitely recognisable as one or the other?
• Is there an authoritative Japanese title for this print, which clears it up?

Thanks Andy Dingley (talk) 14:33, 20 December 2015 (UTC)