A beauty sets a long pin into her lacquered coiffure

A bust-length portrait shows a young woman reaching up to set a long hairpin into her elaborately dressed black chignon. She wears a black kimono over a pale pink under-robe patterned with fans and blossoms, and holds a round red lacquer object, most likely a hand mirror, below her chin against a plain tan ground. A round cartouche at upper right encloses toilette motifs beside the series title, with Utamaro's signature and seal 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.