Kunisada: Beauty Running a Comb Through her Hair

Artist: Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865)
Title: The Well-turned-out Type 出来がよさ相 (Deki ga yosaso)

Series: The modern thirty-two types 今様三十二相 (imayô sanjû-ni sô)  Date: 1859

A woman sits before her mirror and uses both hands to perfect her coiffure. She careful runs a comb through one of the side sweeps to her elaborate updo. Her left hand may be seen through the strands of her black hair, a testament to the luxurious and perfected printing of this series. Her outer robe has been shrugged off, and we see a black armband on her upper arm. This may be covering up a tattoo, or it may simply be a good-luck token from a shrine. The inset shows two containers holding  sticks and folded papers; they have the patterns of cresting waves. The inset design done by the artist Miyagi Gengyo (1817-1861). Kunisada was flexing his muscles as the most popular ukiyo-e artist of the time, as this and other series of the period feature absolutely dazzling printing techniques. Here the black edges of her robe and the mirror feature burnishing, and the woman’s hairline features carving that is as fine as a single hair.

Condition: Excellent impression and color; very good condition. With almost invisible center fold and a minor discoloration in the upper sky. Untrimmed and unbacked. 

Dimensions: ôban (38 x 25.4 cm)  Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tobei
Signature: Toyokuni ga 豊国画

References: See MFA Boston for their impression; Izzard, Kunisada’s World (1993), #95/1.

SKU: KUS593