Woodblock Print by Chikanobu Toyohara: Jidai Kagami or Mirror of the Ages, Framed

A white kerchief tied over her hair, and three samurai sitting very formally above.

Jidai Kagami or Mirror of the Ages is a framed woodblock print by Chikanobu Toyohara (1838-1912), from Japan, dated 1897. It is ink on paper. The Jidai Kagami series set portraits of women from different historical periods against small scenes showing the customs of their era. Here a woman in a white head covering bound with a gold band gazes to the side, wearing a blue kimono with cherry blossoms and a red collar. In the inset above, a standing figure in elaborate dress holds a staff between two seated attendants. It is 20.5 inches wide and 25 high.

History lessons have rarely been this well dressed.