After the bath 68/100

Numbered 68 of 100, this oban woodblock print is a later impression from a substantial edition of Hirano Hakuho's post-bath subject. The numbering indicates a print run of 100, typical for shin-hanga editions that balanced exclusivity with commercial viability. By impression 68, the carved woodblock would have undergone significant use, potentially showing subtle signs of wear in the finest lines, though skilled printers could maintain quality throughout the run by adjusting ink viscosity and printing pressure. This version of the bathing subject joins at least two other iterations in Hakuho's catalog, suggesting that the post-bath theme was both personally significant to the artist and commercially successful with buyers. The oban format provides space for a full or three-quarter-length figure in the unhurried, informal posture that follows bathing, unencumbered by the structured layers of formal kimono dressing.