Harunobu Returning Sails of the Towel Rack Tea Towel

Returning Sails of the Towel Rack
A woman ladles water at the basin by the towel rack; inside, another woman sits mending.
Tenugui-kake no kihan, from the series Eight Parlour Views (Zashiki hakkei).
This impression carries the signature and seal of the poet Kyosen, who commissioned the series.
Suzuki Harunobu, c. 1766. Art Institute of Chicago, 1928.901.

The print sits on a pale ground, with its title and credit beneath.
Printed on one side with reactive inks. Natural, off-white base. Firm, with a structured drape; the back is softer than the front. Red ric-rac along the top and bottom edges, sewn with yellow thread.
Made to order in England, so slight variation in size and in the wave of the trim is normal.