A woman blackens her teeth before a chrysanthemum-crested mirror

A woman leans toward a black lacquer hand mirror centred with a gold chrysanthemum crest, her mouth open as she applies tooth-blackening dye with a slender red-lacquer stick held in her other hand. Her elaborate coiffure is fixed with gold combs and hairpins; a teal-green kimono with a dotted brown collar and a red under-robe patterned with a scrolling motif complete the dress. A title cartouche naming the series and the artist appears at the upper left, with a round black 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.