Kuchi-e prints are wood block printed frontispiece illustrations used in the publication of Japanese novels and magazines around the turn of the 20th century. Most of the kuchi-e prints were illustrations of bijin and continued the Japanese woodblock print tradition of the idealization of beauties in Japanese art.  Kuchi-e prints always have a horizontal or vertical fold because of their insertion in a magazine or book as an illustrative print. This particular piece has a well-flattend vertical fold.  Kuchi-e prints have become highly sought after and collected recently by serious collectors.

This piece is a beautiful example of the gradition of colors and delicate detailing traditionally seen in Japanese woodblock prints.  The unique stance and dynamic between the figures is indicitive of a story even without the knowledge that the piece was made with a story in mind. 

This piece is matted in a warm cream with a black inner border.  The frame is thin and black with subtle detail on both the inner and outer edges.  The colors and sizes of the image, matting, and frame pair perfectly with Toshikata's Woman in a Blue Kimono for a truly interesting grouping of art.