Kitagawa Utamaro crafted this woodblock print depicting a courtesan named Hitomoto. Notice the intricate hair ornaments, especially the comb-like structures. These combs are not merely decorative; they speak volumes. In Edo-period Japan, hairstyles and their adornments signified social status, age, and even personal identity. The elaborate arrangement of hair, accentuated by these ornaments, mirrors similar traditions across cultures. Think of the towering wigs of the French aristocracy, or the intricate braids of women in ancient Greece. The act of adornment is a primal impulse, a way to project oneself onto the world, to attract, or to ward off. In Utamaro’s print, the combs serve as emblems of Hitomoto’s profession. In a cyclical pattern, they transform, and resurface, and have taken on new meanings in different historical contexts.