Morning Hair

A woman lazily rests underneath a mosquito net, which is implied by the green textured background. She puts her chin on her crossed hands placed upon a lacquered wooden pillow. Her slightly disheveled hair and sleepy eyes express the feeling of a languorous morning. Although gentle, the image is considered sexually provocative because the viewer is invited inside the mosquito net placed over the bedding. It is one of the most valued prints among Kotondo’s works due to its limited availability. This print is rare because the authorities considered the image salacious and banned it under the “Peace Preservation Law” of 1928. After the sale of seventy prints, the police confiscated the carved woodblocks and the remaining prints.