Bijin in Green Kimono (1)

A woman wearing a green kimono is the central subject of this oban woodblock print. The color green, while less frequently featured in bijin-ga than red, blue, or purple, carries its own associations in Japanese textile culture. Green kimono might indicate youth, spring, or a certain freshness of spirit, and the specific shade chosen by the artist and printer affects the mood of the entire composition. Igawa Sengai would have worked with the publisher's printer to achieve the right green through mixing mineral or vegetable pigments before applying them to the carved block. The kimono's pattern, whether floral, geometric, or abstract, would add a second layer of visual interest within the green field. The oban format gives the full-length figure enough space for the kimono to display its pattern fully, from shoulder to hem, making the garment itself as much a subject of the print as the woman wearing it.