Woman Putting on Finger Plectrums to Play the Koto

Art Historical Context

In the serene elegance of Edo-period Japan (1615–1868), Utagawa Toyiro captures a quiet moment of preparation in *Woman Putting on Plectrums to Play Koto*. Created in the early 19th, this hanging scroll depicts a graceful woman meticulously fitting tsume—small, curved plectrums—onto her fingers to play the koto, a traditional 13-string zither central to Japanese courtly and domestic music. Toyohiro, a master the Utagawa school mentor to the famed Hiroshige, infused his works with the vibrant spirit of ukiyo-e, celebrating the "floating world" of everyday beauty, geisha culture, and refined arts. Rendered in ink and color on silk—a luxurious medium prized for its subtle sheen and suitability for intimate home display—the painting showcases Toyohiro's delicate brushwork. Fine lines delineate the woman's flowing kimono and poised gesture, while soft color gradients evoke the intimacy of a private chamber, highlighting themes of femininity and musical accomplishment. During the Edo era's urban prosperity, such bijin-ga (pictures of beautiful women) were popular among merchants and samurai, reflecting ideals of grace and accomplishment. This intimate scene, now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Asian Art collection (gift of the Charles Stewart Smith family, 1914), offers visitors a window into Japan's rich performative traditions, where music and poise intertwined in daily life.

About the Artist

Utagawa Toyohiro · 1763–1828

Utagawa Toyohiro (1763–1828) was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist and painter who founded a major branch of the Utagawa school and is best remembered as the teacher of Utagawa Hiroshige, one of the greatest landscape print designers in Japanese art history. Born in Edo (present-day Tokyo), he studied under Utagawa Toyoharu, the founder of the Utagawa school, who was noted for introducing Western perspect...