Takigawa of the Ōgiya from the series A Selection of Eastern Beauties
1798
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1798
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
You see a woman in a patterned kimono, holding a long pipe to her lips. A few loose strands of hair fall by her temple. This is Takigawa, a famous courtesan in Edo (now Tokyo). People bought prints like this to follow the latest styles—like fashion magazines today. The artist used thin wood strips to print those delicate hairs, a trick that made the image feel real. If you like this, look up *japan, edo period (1615–1868)* for more prints of daily life.
