The Status of Pleasure: Courtesan and Literati Connections in T'ang China (618-907)

This article investigates various forms of courtesanship and the liaison between courtesans and literati during the T'ang dynasty in China. Based on close examination of epitaphs, poetry, dynastic histories, monographs, and miscellaneous writings, it demonstrates that courtesan culture reached its peak during the T'ang; that house courtesanship was the most distinct type of courtesanship at the time; and that associating with courtesans provided a means whereby the new elite affirmed their social status and unique identity.