The appearance of a kept woman of the Kaei era (1848-54)

A second example of the Kaei-era mekake from Fūzoku sanjūni sō — likely a different impression or surviving state of the same composition, or a paired sheet treating the subject from a slightly altered angle. The Thirty-two Aspects was issued in [oban](/glossary/oban) tate-e with a black and red title cartouche at the upper right giving the aspect (sō) and the era; collectors distinguish copies by the freshness of the [bokashi](/glossary/bokashi), the clarity of the keyblock outline in the hair, and the presence of burnishing in the obi. Early impressions show sharp hairlines along the collar and crisp registration of the printed seal, while later editions — common for the series — show some keyblock wear. As with the rest of the set, the figure is isolated from any setting, a deliberate move that makes the costume and posture the entire content of the image and that ties the series to a tradition of late [ukiyo-e](/glossary/ukiyo-e) portraiture stripped of narrative scaffolding.