Young woman holding obi between her teeth
c. 1760/64
Medium
Color woodblock print; hashira-e, benizuri-e
Dimensions
68.3 × 10.2 cm (26 7/8 × 4 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
88925
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of 18th-century Japanese uyo-e, Torii Kiyomitsu I (1734–1785), a figure of the Torii school, captured fleeting moments of beauty and grace. This *hashira-e* woodblock print from around 1760–64 depicts a young woman delicately holding an obi sash between her teeth, perhaps in the intimate act of dressing or adjusting her kimono. Known for his bijin-ga (images of beautiful women) and kabuki actor portraits, Kiyomitsu infused his works with elegant lines and expressive poses, reflecting the "floating world" culture of Edo-period pleasure districts. The print's slender dimens...
About the Artist
Torii Kiyomitsu I · 1735–1785
Japanese, 1735–1785