Yoshitoshi - Thirty-two Aspects of Women's Customs and Manners

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

"Femininity": The Appearance of 'Castle Houses' in the Tenpo Period [1830-1844]. This lady is described as a "keisei", (castle-topper) a poetic name for a high-ranking courtesan. The term refers to the way rulers can be beguiled by beautiful women to forget the affairs of state, with disastrous results. From the popular series "Thirty-two Aspects of Customs and Manners" considered Yoshitoshi's finest series of bijin-ga, or pictures of beautiful women. The women depicted come from all social classes.

The series was printed using premium techniques, such as bokashi shading, embossing, and burnishing. Prints from this series are in major museum collections worldwide.

This series exists in several editions, which can be identified not only by impression quality but also by differences in the cartouche. The first edition features a cartouche with three diagonal colors. The second edition uses two colors, while the third edition displays a plain brown-gray cartouche with no distinct color markings.

Date: 1888

Publisher: Tsunashima Kamekichi

Condition: Very good color and impression. Some stains and dirt as shown.

Size: 14 5/16 × 9 5/8 in. (36.35 × 24.45 cm)

Genre: Ukiyo-e

Medium: Woodblock Print