Hour of the Ox (Ushi no koku) by Kitagawa Utamaro, c. 1798/99, depicting two women of the Fukagawa pleasure quarter; one adjusting her elaborate hairstyle adorned with gold pins, the other in profile wearing a patterned kimono

beauty practices, beauty standard, bijin-ga, character portraiture, classical japanese beauty, close-up figures, cosmetic practices, courtesan, cultural documentation, cultural dress, decorative arts, domestic scene, edo period, edo period portrait, elegant pose, elegant women, fashion, female figures, feminine elegance, figure study, geisha, gold hairpin, grooming, hairstyle, historical portrait, intimate portrait, japan, japanese beauty, japanese culture, kimono, kitagawa utamaro, ornament, ornamental headwear, patterned fabric, period costume, pleasure quarter, portrait study, profile portrait, social hierarchy, textile design, theatrical portrait, traditional dress, traditional fashion, traditional japanese art, two women, ukiyo-e, utamaro, visual narrative, women and fashion, women portrait, Objects and still life,