Mirror of the Ages - Published in 1897, Chikanobu's beautiful series "Mirror of the Ages" celebrates the beauty and fashions of women of the past. Each print in this delightful series features a single portrait of a young beauty, always carefully and stylishly made up, wearing the traditional contemporary fashion of her time. In the rectangular inset above the figure, Chikanobu has drawn a scene from the same time period suggesting a place where one might see this young beauty. This wonderful series was printed to the highest quality with fine line work and soft shading, and often with additional embellishments, such as delicate embossing or burnishing. A lovely series and collector's favorite.

The An'ei Era (1772 - 1781) - Lovely image of a beauty examining her hairstyle using two mirrors, holding an elegant lacquered hand mirror to the back of her head and another at lower right. She smiles happily as she admires the effect, her hair pulled into a large loop held with a comb and adorned with a pink ribbon. Her light blue kimono is patterned with tie-dyed swallows in flight in pastel shades of pink, yellow, and green. Interestingly, the image above shows an artisan making a mirror, polishing a round sheet of metal to a reflective shine, with a customer at right smiling as she looks into a mirror. A beautiful design with intricate detail in the hand mirror and hairline, a soft pink flush around the eyes, and embossing in the white kimono collar.

Artist - Chikanobu (1838 - 1912)

Image Size - 12 7/8" x 8 1/4" + margins as shown

Condition - This print with excellent color and detail as shown. Backed with paper. A few pinholes in top corners. Slight toning and soiling, a few small spots and creases at corners. Please see photos for details. Good overall.