A woman in a striped indigo kimono smokes a pipe by the Sumida River

A woman in a bold blue-and-white striped kimono stands on a rocky bank, a long pipe held to her lips in one hand while the other gathers her hem. Her under-robe carries a scattered pattern of scrolling clouds, cherry blossoms and tied sashes in the same aizuri blue-on-white palette. Behind her the Sumida River recedes into a misty townscape of rooftops and a distant pagoda-like structure, with sailboats and a rowed skiff on the water. Pine branches frame the upper corners. A vertical cartouche at right names the series, and the artist's signature and seals, printed in blue like the rest of the sheet, sit near her feet. Printed almost entirely in shades of indigo (aizuri-e).

Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798–1861) brought heroes, monsters and spectacle into the ukiyo-e print. A pupil of Toyokuni, he made his name in 1827 with the series of the One Hundred and Eight Heroes of the Suikoden, tattooed warriors caught mid-action, and went on to giant skeletons, cats, whales and satirical puzzles that slipped past the censors. His restless invention influenced Yoshitoshi and, much later, tattoo and manga art. His prints are 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.