Prince Wang Qiao (王子喬, Ō Shikyō) was a legendary Daoist immortal associated with the Zhou dynasty. According to Chinese tradition, he mastered the Dao and eventually ascended to heaven riding a phoenix. Over centuries he became one of the best-known examples of transcendence and immortality in East Asian art and literature. The phoenix therefore serves as a visual shorthand for spiritual elevation and immortality.

Rather than depicting Wang Qiao himself, Harunobu presents a fashionable young Edo-period woman seated on a phoenix while holding a shō (笙), a traditional mouth organ made of bamboo pipes. This transformation of a famous historical or mythological figure into a contemporary beauty was a hallmark of Harunobu's work and of the mitate-e genre.

The result is a playful image that would have appealed to educated townspeople familiar with Chinese legends. Viewers could recognise the immortal hidden beneath the guise of a stylish young woman, appreciating both the reference and Harunobu's wit.

Hōō ni notte sorawotobu on'na (鳳凰に乗って空を飛ぶ女, A woman flying through the sky on a phoenix) 1766.

Suzuki Harunobu (鈴木春信, 1725-1770)