An Anko of Ooshima — 大島のアンコ

"An Anko of Ooshima" (大島のアンコ) depicts a young woman from the Oshima island tradition — the "anko" being the distinctive costume worn by women on Oshima, the large volcanic island south of the Izu Peninsula. The Oshima anko, with her dark indigo-dyed clothing and traditional headwear, was a subject of folkloric interest in twentieth-century Japanese art and crafts, the island's traditional culture providing material for sosaku-hanga printmakers interested in regional dress and custom. Maeda's treatment renders the figure with the bold line work and flat color that characterize his figure subjects.