Kitagawa Utamaro (1753-1806), Ehon Yomogi no Shima Three quires of prints (out of three), ink on paper. All three, with aoi flower and foliate motif covers adorned with calligraphic titles on a green-backed label, are bound in one volume. The set is housed in an embroidered silk-covered binding with a title label in black calligraphy on a gold background: Ehon Yomogi no shima, which translates as "The Illustrated Book of Mugwort Island". The work belongs to the genre of narrative and poetic ehon, often centered on female portraits (bijin-ga), Utamaro's specialty, scenes of daily life, customs or poetic landscapes, accompanied by short literary texts, poems or anecdotes.