Untitled (1878) by Toyohara Chikanobu

Seven women in richly patterned kimono of indigo, red, and green gather on a red-railed veranda beneath a curtained pavilion roof of red, blue, and yellow bands. Behind them a sliding screen opens onto a landscape with a thatched hut, water, and hills, while pink blossoms and tall red lilies frame the scene at left and a round red hand-mirror sits at lower left. This 1878 print by Toyohara Chikanobu shows the women in mid-conversation and movement, their pale faces and dark hair set against the bright, patterned fabrics of their layered robes.