Kitagawa Utamaro
Japan, 1753­1806
Woman Holding a Comb
c. 1798
Woodblock print
38.7 x 26.5 cm
Clarence Buckingham Collection, 1925.3068

Although she modestly tries to conceal her face behind a delicate tortoise-shell comb, this elegant woman is still visible through the comb’s transparent body.

Utamaro was a famous woodblock-print artist during a period when the merchant class was at the center of the Japanese cultural scene. Woodblock prints—mass-produced, inexpensive images—completely revolutionized all manner of art, fashion, and theater. A single print required a different woodblock for each color. How many blocks do you think were used for this print?