$1,500–$12,000. Common subjects: $1,500–$4,000. Key value factors: Shimura's refined bijin-ga have a devoted collector base. Earlier prints and rarer subjects command premiums.
A woman applies kuchibeni (lipstick) in this [oban](/glossary/oban) woodblock print, the cosmetic ritual becoming a subject of both visual beauty and cultural significance. Shimura Tatsumi renders the moment with precision, capturing the pursed concentration of lips receiving color and the steady hand that applies it. In traditional Japanese beauty culture, the application of lip color was a carefully calibrated art, with specific shades and shapes signaling social status, occasion, and aesthetic intention. Shimura treats this everyday ritual with the gravity it deserves, presenting the simple act of applying lipstick as a form of self-authorship and artistic expression in its own right.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Lipstick- Kuchibeni was created by Shimura Tatsumi (志村立美) in Not set.
Lipstick- Kuchibeni was published by Watanabe Shozaburo (Not set).
Lipstick- Kuchibeni depicts figures, bijin-ga, and portraits.
