Artist: Utagawa Kunisada Title: "The Popular Type" (Hayari Sō) From the series "Thirty-Two Physiognomic Types of the Modern World" Size: 40 x 28cm (Oban) Technique: Traditional Japanese woodblock print on handmade washi paper, Nishiki-e Publisher: Adachi Hanga Institute Printing date: 1961 Originally published: approx. 1821 (Edo period) The condition is Excellent. This is one of Kunisada's early bijin-ga prints, originally designed around 1821–22 as part of the rare series Tōsei Sanjūni Sō (Thirty-Two Physiognomic Types of the Modern World). Of the planned 32 designs, only ten were ever published, making each print particularly sought after by collectors. The cartouche bears the title はやり相 (Hayari Sō). Hayari means "fashionable" or "en vogue," which is why Western catalogues translate the type variously as "The Popular Type," "The Trendy Type," or "The Fast-Changing Type." The subject is a woman who keeps up with fashions that seem to change overnight—hence the modern-sounding description. With this series, Kunisada drew on Kitagawa Utamaro's famous physiognomic studies from the 1790s but pushed the concept further: bolder lines, richly patterned fabrics, and a tight, almost cinematic framing. About the Publisher: This woodblock print was created by the Adachi Hanga Institute during the Showa period. Adachi prints are renowned for their museum-grade craftsmanship, produced with hand-carved cherry woodblocks, traditional baren techniques, and carefully selected washi papers that recreate the look and feel of Edo-period originals. Unlike commercial publishers, Adachi’s mission has always been scholarly: to preserve and revive historically significant ukiyo-e designs for museums, archives, and connoisseurs.