Beauties from Osaka, Edo and Kyoto by Utamaro, Kunisada and Tsukimaro, with poems by Santō Kyōzan, Tatekawa DanjÅ«rō and Jippensha Ikkusen Possibly 1813

Editor: This print, "Beauties from Osaka, Edo and Kyoto," by Kitagawa Utamaro II, it's just so delicate. The way the colors almost float on the paper... What's your take on it? Curator: Ah, yes. It's a collaborative confection, isn't it? Like a delicious gossip session between cities. Each figure embodies the essence of her origin through fashion, pose, even the poetry accompanying her. Do you feel that contrast? Editor: Definitely! The Osaka beauty seems so grounded, the Kyoto one more refined. Were these poems common in prints like this? Curator: Absolutely! Think of them as tiny windows into the cultural soul. They add another layer of allure. Beauty, place, and verse all intertwined. Isn't it brilliant? Editor: I never thought of it that way. I’m starting to appreciate how much is going on beneath the surface. Curator: Precisely! A collaboration of beauty, poetry, and place, a delightful little package of cultural identity.