It would be unseemly in many cultures to even consider painting a face completely white and then embellishing the features with stark red and black colours as a mark of beauty. This is the basic description of the Japanese Geisha, and it is one that was a measure of beauty for many years. It may have been odd for many not of that culture to think of these women as beautiful, yet the definition of their beauty goes far beyond their faces.
Few people outside of the Japanese culture know much about Geisha. Many make the incorrect assumption that they are nothing more than women of low repute. The fact is that they were highly trained to be artisans in the field of entertainment. A successful Geisha was one able to perform credibly on a range of musical instruments. She could perform dances in a highly stylized manner with each movement being graceful.
Entertaining patrons throughout an evening did take many different forms. Many occasions started with the graceful beauty of the tea ceremony. This is one area where Geisha are highly trained throughout their career. It provided a measure of their abilities, and it also was part of what was expected of them in their role of entertainer.
One more aspect of the beauty of the Geisha was her ability to entertain through conversation. Not all of them had to be serious, yet they had to sustain the attention of the patrons for a Geisha to remain popular. It may appear this is a less than beautiful way to measure the worth of these women, yet mastering all of those skills is what earned them a living as some of the most beautiful women in the history of this intriguing country.
