High-ranking Courtesan - Charming portrait of a high-ranking courtesan in a moment of leisure, preparing to write a letter. She wets the end of the brush in her mouth, holding the paper with her other hand. Her freshly-washed hair falls loosely over her shoulders, and she was a plum colored kimono with a cherry blossoms pattern, the white collar of her under robe detailed with a geometric design. A beautiful subject. The most rarely seen subject from Utamaro's "Five Shades of Ink" series.

Woodblock reprints - In the 20th century, artists and publishers collaborated to recreate famous woodblock prints for interested Japanese collectors and Westerners looking for rare designs. New blocks were made, and the prints were painstakingly printed by artisan printers in the same method as the 19th century originals - one block for each color. Woodblock reprints were an opportunity to collect and enjoy a famous design at a small fraction of the price of an original. They still are today.

Artist - Utamaro (1750 - 1806)

Image Size - 15" x 9 3/4" + margins as shown

Condition - This print with excellent color and detail as shown. A small spot. Please see photos for details. Good overall.