Kunichika - Thirty-two Fashionable Physiognomies

Toyohara Kunichika (1835-1900)

Date: 1869
Medium: Woodblock Print. Oban (10" x 14")
Publisher: Yorozuya Magobei
Genre: Ukiyo-e, Bijin-ga

Thirty-two Fashionable Physiognomies is among Kunichika’s most accomplished bijin series and represents an important development in figure design during the early Meiji period. While rooted in the ukiyo-e tradition of portraying beautiful women, the figures here are markedly individualized. Their expressions are animated, their gestures informal and psychologically specific, suggesting personality rather than type. The women are shown in familiar, contemporary settings - reading, conversing, boating, or relaxing - grounding the images in everyday urban life.

The title's reference to "thirty-two" alludes playfully to the thirty-two auspicious physical attributes of the Buddha, reframed within the context of modern fashion and physiognomy. In this way, Kunichika bridges classical allusion and contemporary observation, contributing to the growing interest in realism that characterized mid-to late-Meiji visual culture.

Particular attention is given to costume and coiffure. The kimonos are rendered with elaborate textile patterns - stripes, florals, crests, and geometric motifs - carefully articulated through precise line work and controlled color layering. Hairstyles are equally detailed, with finely cut lines defining combs, pins, and the sculptural arrangement of hair. Subtle bokashi shading enriches the backgrounds, and select impressions incorporate deluxe techniques such as embossing and burnishing. The series stands as a refined and technically sophisticated exploration of modern femininity in 1878.

Condition: Good color and condition, Margins and some staining as shown, not backed.