Description
Numbered, antique Japanese photo card depicting a beautiful young woman
(bijin) posing in a patterned yukata garment. Yukata
are a special type of lightweight kimono once commonly worn in Japan
during the hot and humid summer months. Yukata are today still popular at outdoor festivals where they are worn with zori
sandals or geta wooden clogs. This photo was originally part of a
set of images produced by the Megumi Yukata company as a means of
marketing their garments, and the company name can be seen printed at the lower
corner. The photo
includes a purple number stamp which may have been used to identify the
particular yukata being modeled.
A highlight of this photo is the woman's beautifully arranged hair which is
done up in a traditional style called
Nihongami. The Japanese have always cared greatly about their
appearance and especially about the style and arrangement of their hair.
Westerners traveling through Japan in the late 19th century often commented
after this fact, noting that even very poor Japanese always took care to
maintain their hair though their clothes may be but rags. The woman in
this photo reminds us of this fact of Japanese culture as her clothing and
Nihongami-style coiffeur can only be described as perfect. This
splendid antique photograph is an emblematic example of feminine virtue in old
Japan.
Condition and Age
This original old marketing photo card dates from the early to mid 20th
century and is in poor to fair condition with creases, bends, marks and
scratches as well as stains, fading and discoloration from handling and age.
There is a particularly deep crease along the upper left edge. The
photo appears to have been previously mounted in an album as there is torn paper
from the album stuck to the back of the photo. Please click
here to see more photos from this same series.
Size:
Height: 5.3 inches (13.5 centimeters)
Width: 3.3 inches (8.5 centimeters)
Important notes:
To the best of our knowledge the photographic image offered with this listing is
an original print and not a later duplication. Age estimates as well as
descriptions of the people and events occurring in the image are based on
available information such as settings and activities depicted in the image as
well as our experience with Japanese culture. All photographs purchased
from us are carefully sealed in plastic and shipped in a box instead of an
envelope to prevent damage during transit.
Many of the photographs we list are uploaded to our Japan Vintage
Photo Blog which is an on-line gallery of unique and interesting images
of old Japan. The purpose of this blog is strictly to share some of the
wonderful photographs we encounter in the course of our work, and to provide a
digital archive to preserve these images into the future. If you purchase
a photograph from us and do not wish to have a digital copy of your image displayed in
the photo blog or archive then please simply send us an email indicating your preference
and we will promptly remove the image.
Please
contact us with any questions.
Click
here
to see more old photos!
Click
here
to see additional treasures from Japan!
item code: R3S5B2A7-0004016
category code: furuishashin bijinshashinset
ship code: L1650
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