Ama dressing her hair on a beach
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Format:
- Oban
- Source:
- Art of Japan
Description
Ama — female divers who harvested abalone, seaweed, and shellfish — were a frequent subject in ukiyo-e for their association with the sea, physical freedom, and a semi-mythological femininity. This print shows a diver on the beach tending to her hair after emerging from the water, a quiet moment of everyday ritual in a demanding life. Kuniyoshi's treatment of the ama likely emphasizes her physical vitality against an open coastal setting, the sea wind implied in loose hair and wet cloth.
More Prints by Utagawa Kuniyoshi
Woman as the Hero Taisō in Palanquin Holding a Pipe
c. 1830
Woodblock print (surimono), ink and color on paper
Yan Qing (Roshi Ensei), from the series "One Hundred and Eight Heroes of the Popular Water Margin (Tsuzoku Suikoden goketsu hyakuhachinin no hitori)"
Poem by Abe no Nakamaro, from an untitled series of One Hundred Poems by One Hundred Poets
Hu Sanniang (Ko Sanjo Ichijosei), from the series "One Hundred and Eight Heroes of the Popular Water Margin (Tsuzoku Suikoden goketsu hyakuhachinin no hitori)"
More Seascapes Prints
Child of the Sea
1940
Woodblock print
The Beach at Kaiganji in Sanuki Province (Sanuki Kaiganji no hama), from the series "Collection of Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition (Nihon fukei shu II Kansai hen)"
1934
Color woodblock print; oban
Pacific Ocean, Awa Province (Boshu Taikai), from the series "Souvenirs of Travel, Third Series (Tabi miyage dai sanshu)"
Boshu Taikai
1925
Color woodblock print; oban
Pine Beach at Miho (Miho no Matsubara), from the series "Selection of Views of the Tokaido (Tokaido fukei senshu)"
September 1931
Color woodblock print; oban
Frequently Asked Questions
Ama dressing her hair on a beach was created by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (歌川国芳).
Ama dressing her hair on a beach depicts seascapes.