A beauty pauses with a pipe, sleeve trailing cherry blossoms

A woman leans in three-quarter view, a long-stemmed pipe held to her lips with one hand while the other steadies a paper-wrapped object at her lap. Her red kimono is patterned with small white cherry blossoms, worn over a brown robe patterned with small star-flowers, and her hair is dressed with a wide comb and crossed pins tipped in pale yellow. A cartouche at upper right depicts an open fan and flowers above the series title. The artist's vertical signature runs down the left margin beside a rectangular publisher's seal.

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.