Woman with a Fan in her Left Hand Combing her Hair - Utagawa Kunisada

A classic Ukiyo-e woodblock print by Utagawa Kunisada, depicting a woman grooming her hair alongside a bonsai arrangement and an open book.

This woodblock print by Utagawa Kunisada captures a quiet moment of domestic preparation. The subject, a woman depicted in the bijin-ga style, stands while grooming her long, dark hair. She holds a fan in her left hand, a common accessory in Edo-period portraiture that adds a layer of grace to her posture. Her kimono features a bold, repeating pattern of circular motifs, rendered in shades of blue and soft orange, which contrasts with the more muted tones of the surrounding interior.

In the background, an open book displays text and a small illustration, suggesting a literary or narrative context for the scene. To the right, a small bonsai arrangement sits on a low table, accompanied by a ceramic basin. These elements provide a sense of place and atmosphere, grounding the figure within a specific cultural setting. Kunisada, a prolific artist of the Utagawa school, was known for his ability to produce prints that balanced technical precision with the aesthetic preferences of his time. His work often focused on the lives of women, actors, and the fashionable trends of the nineteenth century.

This print demonstrates the characteristic flat perspective and clean lines associated with Japanese woodblock printing. The composition is balanced, with the figure occupying the left side of the frame while the book and bonsai provide visual weight to the right. The colour palette remains restrained, relying on the interplay between the blue pigments and the warm, paper-toned background. This piece offers a glimpse into the visual culture of the Edo period, where everyday activities were elevated through artistic representation. It is a fine example of the technical skill involved in multi-block printing, where each colour layer is applied with careful registration to create the final image.