Geisha...at the slightest evocation of this little Japanese word there appears instantly before the eyes of Westerners a succession of images swaying gently between languorous voluptuousness and erotic fantasy. And yet, far from being a simple creature destined to satisfy carnal pleasures, the geisha sums up the quintessence of Japanese refinement. A source of inspiration for print artists who took the curve of a shoulder, the roundness of a breast and the delicacy of a neck to satiation, she embodies, above all, the ideal Woman. This intelligent and cultured courtesan is simultaneously musician, poet and dancer. Westerners prefer to celebrate in her the myth of the girl-woman, midway between spouse and doll. An art historian by training