Kunisada: Tattoo Removal via Moxibustion (Sold)
Artist: Utagawa Kunisada
Title: Tattoo Removal via Moxibustion
Series: Twenty-four Aspects of Beautiful Women (Niju shiko Imayo bijin)
Date: 1863
A woman bites a towel as her companion studiously applies moxibustion to her upper arm. She is probably having a tattoo of her lover’s name removed. There is an empty packet on the floor, probably for the mugwort used in the treatment. This series probably has humorous comparison to the 24 Paragons of Filial Piety, but it would be the job of a scholar to parse them out.
Condition: Excellent impression, color and condition. Untrimmed and unbacked.
Dimensions: ôban
Publisher: Iseya Kanekichi
Literature: See “Tattoos in Japanese Prints” by Sarah Thompson, page 12, figure 4.
Seal: Toshidama
Signature: Ôju Toyokuni ronin hitsu
SKU: KUS342