This reproduction is a new, individually printed and proofed, superior quality, giclee* process, fine art print. It is printed on 100% cotton rag acid-free, heavyweight fine art paper with a luxurious textured watercolor paper finish and archival pigment inks to ensure permanence. Image Size - 17 x 10.6 inches printed on larger 19 x 13 inch paper to allow ample borders for matting and framing. The female image has long been a favorite subject of Japanese artists. Images of beautiful women – bijin-e, whether from the centuries old ukiyo-e tradition (‘pictures of the floating world’) or the shin hanga (‘new prints’) movement of the twentieth century, beautiful women dominate Japanese visual art. This image of a beautiful young women combing out her long, silken hair was a favorite theme in woodblock prints. This ritual was done in the privacy of her own toilette, visible only to lovers or members of immediate family. In public, hairstyles were always formally arranged, worn up in three piled buns. A woman’s hair was never seen naturally long or uncombed. Grooming was a private ritual akin to the bath. Japanese artistic thought saw a beautiful woman as a flower in nature. “…even someone with an afflicted mind or who nurses discontent cannot help but unload his heart of stone in front of beautiful flowers or charming beauties.” Tokyo born artist Torii Kotondo began his approach to bijinga in 1917 and produced prints infused with a contemplative, nostalgic mood. The popular bijinga theme of combing the hair depicted here also captures this beautiful woman at a private, thoughtful moment. Reproduction - Heavyweight Fine Art Paper, watercolor texture surface & archival pigment inks. Original Medium: Woodcut with colored inks on paper Prints ship in a heavy protective cardboard tube. **the giclee process produces a high quality, fine art reproduction from a high-resolution digital file of an image. The file is then printed with a high-resolution photo generation printer on a fine art paper. Most artists and working photographers today use the giclee process to produce reproductions of their original artwork and photographs. As with any original art or fine art reproduction, it is recommended that prints are framed and displayed under glass to prevent color fade or shift over the years.