Quietly reading books - Kikugawa Eizan - Japan

This Japanese painting, depicting a beautiful woman reading, features an elaborately styled hairstyle adorned with delicate hairpins. She wears a layered kimono and, with her head bowed, reads a book, her expression gentle and serene – a typical style of Edo-era bijin (beauty painting). Printed using woodblock printing with multiple colors, the lines are fine, the colors rich and nuanced. The back shows traces of the woodblock print's translucency, indicating it is a hand-folded reproduction. This 1920s hand-folded reproduction by Taizantang, measuring 29 x 18 cm, shows signs of age; the paper has a natural patina, but there is no major damage. The photograph shows the actual item and it is suitable for art collection or decoration in a tea room or study. As this is a vintage print, slight yellowing and minor spots due to age are normal.