| Artist: | Utagawa Kunisada [歌川国貞] (Japanese, 1786–1865) |
| Signed: | Kunisada ga [國貞画], in a double-gourd cartouche |
| Censor seal: | Kiwame [極] |
| Date: | Not stated, c. 1830s |
| Publisher: | Ibaya Sensaburō [伊場屋仙三郎]; seal san (三) in a circle |
| Media: | Aiban yoko-e uchiwa-e (団扇絵), colour woodblock print, 232 × 297 mm |
Description: Bust-length portrait of a young woman shown in three-quarter view facing left. Her hair is dressed in a formal shimada-style coiffure, secured with hairpins, a ribbon, and a tortoiseshell comb. One hairpin is ornamented with a small figure of a man on a raft holding a pole and a bird tethered by a cord, possibly representing a cormorant fisherman. She wears a kimono decorated with ginkgo, maple, and plum leaves and blossoms; the combination of motifs from different seasons. The kimono is loosely arranged, exposing the upper shoulder and neck. Her facial expression shows slightly parted lips with the tongue visible between the teeth, introducing an erotic connotation.
Another fan print, possibly from the same series: Woman blackening her teeth in a mirror, with a hairpin ornamented with a pleasure boat motif, likewise associated with river access to the pleasure quarters [SVJP-0381.2022]:
Additional Information
| Collection | Fan print (Uchiwa-e) [団扇絵] , Japanese prints and drawings |
|---|---|
| Type / Purpose | Fan , Woodblock print |
| Period | 19 AD , 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 , Cormorant fisherman , Fan , Fan print , Hairpin , Japan , Japanese woodblock prints , Kimono , Uchiwa-e , Woman , Young woman |
| School | Utagawa (歌川) |
| Signature | Kunisada ga [國貞画] |
| Creation / Publishing year | 1830s |
| Acquisition year | 2026 |
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