Napping

A woman dozes in the light afternoon sleep called utatane — not a planned rest but a drowsiness that overtakes her as she sits. This February 1933 print renders the figure in a state of relaxed vulnerability, her body settling naturally into sleep without the composed arrangement of deliberate rest. The print is among Kotondo's final original bijin-ga designs before his output effectively ceased, and represents the mature expression of his abiding interest in women caught in unguarded, private moments.