Lilies: young woman holding a letter, from an untitled series of beauties and flowers 1812

This colour woodblock print of a young woman holding a letter was made by Utagawa Toyokuni I in Japan in the late 18th or early 19th century. The image belongs to a genre known as ukiyo-e, or "pictures of the floating world". During the Edo period in Japan, the Tokugawa shogunate brought stability and economic growth, but also strict social stratification. Ukiyo-e prints like this one celebrated the fleeting pleasures of urban life, particularly the licensed pleasure districts. Here, the beautiful woman, with her elaborate kimono and hairstyle, hints at the seductive world of the courtesan. The letter she holds suggests a romantic narrative, playing on the viewer's imagination. The print subtly challenged the rigid social norms by portraying the allure of the demimonde. To fully understand the print, we can turn to historical records of Edo-period fashion and popular culture. We can also consider the role of the print market and the publishers who catered to a growing urban audience eager for images of beauty and entertainment.