2 WOMEN

Two women in half-length view lean close together over a spray of chrysanthemums, the foreground figure in a pale blue kimono with small floral motifs and a coral under-robe holding a pair of scissors near the blooms, while the second woman behind her in a blue plaid-patterned kimono with coral collar rests a hand on her companion's shoulder. Both wear elaborate black coiffures studded with combs and long ornamental hairpins, their faces rendered in the pale, fine-lined style typical of the print with small red mouths and downcast eyes. The palette is limited to indigo blue, coral red, tan, and black against an unpainted cream ground, with a vertical cartouche of Japanese characters and the artist's signature at left; medium is ink on paper, artist Kitagawa Utamaro.