Standing Woman Holding Tanzaku (Poem-Slip) - Okumura Masanobu

A classic Ukiyo-e woodblock print by Okumura Masanobu, featuring a woman holding a poem-slip, rendered with elegant line work and traditional Edo-period aesthetics.

This woodblock print by Okumura Masanobu depicts a woman in a standing pose, holding a tanzaku, or poem-slip. Masanobu was a significant figure in the development of Ukiyo-e, working during the mid-Edo period. He is credited with technical innovations in printmaking, including the use of lacquer-like black ink and the development of larger print formats.

The composition features a woman dressed in a kimono with a subtle checkered pattern. Her posture is graceful, with the flowing lines of her garment suggesting movement. The background includes a sliding door panel decorated with a landscape scene, providing a sense of interior space. A small inset image in the upper right corner shows a figure, likely a poet, which connects the visual subject to the literary tradition of the tanzaku. The print uses a limited palette, relying on the strength of the line work to define the form and texture of the clothing.

Masanobu operated his own publishing house, which allowed him to experiment with the physical construction of his prints. This work reflects the aesthetic of the period, where the depiction of beautiful women, or bijin-ga, was a primary subject for artists. The print demonstrates the artist's ability to balance the figure within the frame, using the vertical orientation to emphasise the height and elegance of the subject. The inclusion of calligraphy and the inset image adds a layer of narrative depth, common in prints that draw upon classical Japanese literature and poetry. The paper shows the natural ageing typical of 18th-century woodblock prints, with the ink lines remaining clear and precise.