Wakato

A bijin print from the seventh lunar month of 1864 depicting a woman named Wakato, part of the seasonal series of female portraits that Kyosai produced alongside companion images of Oroku, Osome, Somekawa, Takaragi, and others. The [nishiki-e](/glossary/nishiki-e) format — multiple-block color printing at its most refined — allows Kyosai to achieve the subtle gradations of fabric pattern and skin tone that distinguish these early bijin prints. The seventh-month timing connects the series to the Tanabata festival, giving the women depicted an association with the romantic star-crossing legend.