Two courtesans lean close, one half-hidden behind a round fan

Two courtesans of the Chōjiya appear in half-length view. In front, one holds a round grey-green fan with an orange handle before her lower face, her kimono patterned with a purple zigzag over an orange under-robe. Behind her, the other rests her cheek on her hand, her black hair bristling with long pale yellow pins, in a beige robe with an orange collar. A bordered panel at the upper left names the series, with their names brushed beside it; Utamaro's signature and seal sit at the right.

Kitagawa Utamaro (c. 1753–1806) defined the ukiyo-e portrait of women. Working with the publisher Tsutaya Jūzaburō in the 1790s, he introduced the ōkubi-e, or large-head print, which brought the viewer close enough to read a glance or a gesture, and he gave the beauties of the Yoshiwara district individual faces and names. Mica grounds, transparent textiles and fine line work made his prints the most refined of their day. His work is held by the British Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Printed as a museum-grade giclée on Hahnemühle fine art paper using 12-ink archival pigment printing. Available handframed in FSC-certified wood with optional float glass, or unframed. Ships worldwide with free delivery to 30+ countries.