An essential element of the social life of ancient Japan, bijin-ga or pictures of beautiful women are undoubtedly the most important form of the Japanese print. The subjects were often renowned courtesans identified by name and celebrated for their charms. The beauty of the women is reflected in the beauty of their kimonos, whose splendour and sophistication are an integral part of the female attraction. As an explorer of intimate private life, Utamaro was a keen observer who devised original pictorial formulas to capture the subtlest expressions with the fineness of line that characterises his works. Here the clothing of the courtesan Midogiri and her apprentices glows in vibrant shades of pink and mauve. Like Midogiri herself, the two eldest bear the name of the tea house employing them on the shoulders and sleeves of their garments.