Three women with a lacquered case and fans beside a candle stand

In a room with a paneled sliding door, a standing woman carries a long black lacquered case under her arm. Below her, a second woman sits on the floor leaning back on one hand, a small tan fan tucked behind her shoulder, looking to the left. A third woman kneels beside a lit candle stand, raising a large red-and-white folding fan; a hand drum and drumstick lie on the floor beside a tall black lantern stand at the lower right. Utamaro's signature runs down the left edge, with a publisher's seal at the lower left.

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.