Young woman holding obi between her teeth c. 1760 - 1764

Curator: Welcome. Today we’re considering “Young Woman Holding Obi Between Her Teeth,” a woodblock print by Torii Kiyomitsu, created around 1760-1764. It's currently held here at The Art Institute of Chicago. Editor: Wow, she looks...contemplative, or maybe even a little mischievous? There's a delicacy to the line work, but also a hint of something simmering beneath the surface. It’s strangely intimate. Curator: Intimacy is indeed part of its charm. Consider the subject's averted gaze and subtle gesture—holding the obi, or sash, in her mouth. This small action transforms the conventional portrait into a moment charged with understated eroticism. Editor: Eroticism, yes, but not in a vulgar way. The lines are so clean, so stylized. And that pale wash of color across her skin…it almost feels like a whisper of desire. Ukiyo-e always had this fantastic ability to imply so much with so little. It feels almost poetic. Curator: Precisely. The flattened perspective and simplified forms characteristic of Ukiyo-e allow Kiyomitsu to emphasize surface patterns and graceful linearity. Note how the cascading folds of her kimono create dynamic movement juxtaposed with the stillness of her posture. The artist’s attention to design elements is palpable, a hallmark of the Torii school. Editor: Her robe is so interesting too. A pattern that almost makes you forget that she has a form within it. Makes her even more delicate like she would crumble at any moment. Curator: The meticulous rendering of the obi’s pattern reinforces the status of the subject, while simultaneously functioning as an intricate aesthetic device. A dual reading encouraged by Kiyomitsu’s astute handling of social and artistic codes. Editor: It’s fascinating how it can all be there in a single glance. You feel the life within, see the technique, and sense this strange and alluring beauty. Makes you almost forget it's ink and wood. I see it; you show how it's done, and now I'm looking closer and still seeing it with magic eyes. Curator: It's rewarding to delve into a piece and allow our understanding to be transformed through a shared visual experience. Editor: Yeah, art, what a wild trick it plays on us. It makes our soul travel.