Hair in disarray

'Hair in disarray' translates the Japanese phrase midaregami, a term made famous by Yosano Akiko's 1901 poetry collection of that title and long associated in visual art with images of women in private, unguarded moments. Bijin-ga treatments of this subject typically show a single female figure with loose, flowing black hair — either freshly washed, rising from sleep, or after an emotional encounter — rendered with fine carved hair lines that demand precision from both the carver (horishi) and the printer (surishi). The composition often relies on the contrast between dense black hair and pale, lightly toned skin, with garments printed in muted patterns to keep visual weight on the head. The print belongs to a strand of early-to-mid twentieth-century work in which artists revisited classical bijin themes through more intimate, psychologically suggestive framings. As with other prints attributed to Taki Shusui, specific edition information and exact dating remain difficult to confirm without further documentation.