| Artist: | Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞], a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代 歌川 豊国] (Japanese, 1786–1865) |
| Signed: | Kunisada ga [國貞画] in a red circular toshidama cartouche |
| Date / Censor seal: | 1826 (Bunsei 9) — Year of the Dog (inu, 戌) + aratame [改] |
| Publisher: | Ibaya Senzaburō [伊場屋仙三郎] (Japanese, fl. c. 1815–1869); seal: san (三) in a circle |
| Media: | Aiban yoko-e uchiwa-e (団扇絵), colour woodblock print, 236 × 270 mm |
Description: Bust-length portrait of a young woman shown in three-quarter view, facing left. The background is printed in blue with an asanoha (麻の葉, hemp-leaf) pattern, with superimposed red and purple shibori (絞り, tie-dye) motifs arranged around the figure. Her hair is arranged in a formal coiffure adorned with a kanoko (鹿の子, spotted silk) ribbon, a hairpin decorated with rabbits (兎, usagi), and a tama-kanzashi (玉簪, ball-shaped hair ornament). She wears a patterned kimono decorated with hyōtan (瓢箪, gourd) and go-tsuru mon (五鶴紋, five-crane crest) motifs, layered collars, and a blue striped obi (帯, sash) tied at the back. On her right hand, she wears koto no tsume (お琴の爪, koto finger picks) attached to the thumb, index, and middle fingers, indicating readiness for playing the koto (琴), a 13-string zither.
This uchiwa-e likely forms a series with SVJP-0527.2026 and SVJP-0486.2025, based on the identical artist’s signature cartouche, censor seal/date, and publisher’s mark.
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| SVJP-0527.2026 – Woman with wisteria bonsai | SVJP-0531.2026 – Woman with koto picks | SVJP-0486.2025 – Woman with a hand towel |
Additional Information
| Collection | Fan print (Uchiwa-e) [団扇絵] , Japanese prints and drawings |
|---|---|
| Type / Purpose | Fan , Woodblock print |
| Period | 19 AD , Bunsei era [文政] (1818–1830) , Edo period [江戸時代] (1603–1868) , Mid-19th century |
| Country | Japan |
| Media/Technique | Ink and color on paper , Woodblock print (nishiki-e) |
| Size | Aiban yoko-e uchiwa-e , Fan print. Uchiwa-e |
| Genre | Beauty Prints (Bijin-ga, 美人画) |
| Subject | Beautiful woman (bijin-ga) , Beauty , Crane (tsuru) , Fan , Fan print , Gourd (hyotan) , Japan , Japanese woodblock prints , Koto (箏) , Musical instruments , Musicians , Textile , Uchiwa-e , Woman , Young woman , rabbit (usagi) |
| School | Utagawa (歌川) |
| Creation / Publishing year | 1826 , Bunsei 9 |
| Acquisition year | 2026 |
