A woman in a dark headscarf adjusts her plaid-lined collar

A woman in half-length view touches the folded collar of her kimono, dressed in warm maroon-and-cream plaid trimmed with a russet border over an ochre under-robe patterned with roundels. Her hair is swept into a full black coiffure with a yellow comb and long pin, a red cloth tie with a floral crest at the back. Vertical text at upper right gives her name, おさん (Osan), identifying her as the wife of the merchant Mohei. The artist's signature and round seal appear at 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.