Antique Japan Photo Bijin Woman Yukata Kimono Nihongami

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.  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.

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item code: R3S5B2A13-0004478
category code: furuishashin
ship code: reserved