An Oiran Rearranging Her Hair in the Street while a Young Samurai Looks on 1868 - 1912

This woodblock print by Okumura Masanobu, titled *An Oiran Rearranging Her Hair in the Street While a Young Samurai Looks On*, depicts a scene from Edo-period Japan. The oiran, a high-ranking courtesan, adjusts her hair with one hand while her other hand gestures towards the viewer, implying a playful interaction. The young samurai, a member of the warrior class, stands nearby, seemingly mesmerized by the oiran's grace and elegance. This work is a quintessential example of *ukiyo-e*, a genre of Japanese art that captured the fleeting beauty and pleasures of everyday life in Edo. The work was created between 1868 and 1912 and is currently housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.