Japanese Ukiyo-e Woodblock Print “Beauty with Dog” by Hishikawa Sōri (菱川宗理)　Late Edo Period, circa early 19th century An exceptionally delicate and poetic small-format ukiyo-e woodblock print depicting a graceful beauty holding a cherished dog — a rare subject expressing intimacy, elegance, and the refined emotional world of Edo Japan. This slender composition, measuring approximately 30 cm × 10 cm, possesses a highly unusual and deeply personal format. Unlike larger commercial ukiyo-e sheets created for public display, works of this intimate scale are believed to have been treasured as objects for close private appreciation — portable pieces of beauty carried, exchanged, or preserved among sophisticated admirers of the floating world. Attributed to Hishikawa Sōri, the print reflects the refined aesthetic transition from the late 18th to early 19th century, when bijin-ga evolved toward greater elegance, subtle emotion, and extraordinary attention to line quality. What makes this example especially compelling is the remarkable preservation of its original carved detail. The hairlines, textile contours, and minute decorative patterns remain exceptionally sharp and precise. Such delicate linear definition is often one of the strongest indicators associated with early impressions taken from freshly cut woodblocks, before repeated printing gradually softened the carved surfaces. Collectors and specialists of ukiyo-e highly value these crisp surviving lines because they preserve the vitality intended by the original carver and publisher. In later impressions, these details commonly become blurred, heavier, or partially lost through wear of the woodblock. The refined precision visible here therefore suggests the possibility of an early — potentially first-edition or near-first-edition — impression. Another remarkable feature becomes visible when light is placed behind the sheet. The handmade washi paper reveals the subtle penetration of pigments into the fibers, exposing the traditional Edo-period hand-printing process itself. The reverse side softly carries traces of the original color application, a characteristic highly appreciated in authentic antique Japanese woodblock prints and difficult to imitate convincingly in later reproductions. The natural aging of the paper, combined with the restrained pigments and elegant composition, gives the work a quiet atmosphere that modern reproductions cannot recreate. Rather than merely an image, this piece survives as a historical object — a tangible fragment of Edo culture and craftsmanship preserved across more than two centuries. An exceptional acquisition for collectors of: authentic ukiyo-e woodblock prints Edo-period Japanese art bijin-ga portraits early impressions and fine line carving museum-quality Japanese works on paper wabi-sabi and cabinet collections A rare opportunity to own a refined and historically evocative example of Japanese print culture at its most intimate and sophisticated.