Wakana, Part 1 (Wakana, jo), from the series "A Fashionable Parody of the Tale of Genji (Furyu yatsushi Genji)" c. 1789 - 1794

This woodblock print, "Wakana, Part 1 (Wakana, jo)" from the series *A Fashionable Parody of the Tale of Genji (Furyu yatsushi Genji)*, was created by the renowned Japanese artist Chōbunsai Eishi around 1789-1794. Eishi, known for his beautiful depictions of women, playfully reinterprets the classic Japanese novel *The Tale of Genji* through a fashion-focused lens. The print showcases four elegantly dressed women in a garden setting, their vibrant kimonos and intricate hairstyles embodying the height of Edo-period fashion. *Wakana, Part 1 (Wakana, jo)* is a vibrant example of ukiyo-e, the genre of Japanese woodblock prints that captured the "floating world" of Edo society.