The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of May 17, 2026

A vertically oriented woodblock print depicts four women with light skin tones in an interior overlooking a garden. In the foreground, one woman kneels to examine a textile pattern near stacks of fabric. To the left, another woman stands holding a large roll. On the right, two women sit, one holding papers. Calligraphy fills a cloud shape at the top. Robes and landscape features are rendered in muted orange, green, and cream.

Women Making Clothing

early 1790s

Utagawa Toyokuni

(Japanese, 1769–1825)
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)
color woodblock print
Sheet: 38.2 x 76.2 cm (15 1/16 x 30 in.)
Gift from J. H. Wade 1921.1288.c
Location: Not on view
  • Hayashi Tadamasa 林 忠正 [1853–1906], Paris, France
    William S. Spaulding [1865–1937] and John T. Spaulding [1870–1948], Boston, MA
    November 16, 1921
    (American Art Association, November 16, 1921 sale)
    1921
    (Yamanaka & Co., sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    1921–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Japanese Woodblock Prints: Themes and Techniques. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (September 3-October 19, 1980).
    Cleveland Museum of Art Education Department, 1980: Japanese Woodblock Prints: Themes and Techniques.
    Japanese Prints from the Museum Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 5-October 28, 1934).
  • {{cite web|title=Women Making Clothing|url=false|author=Utagawa Toyokuni|year=early 1790s|access-date=17 May 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1921.1288.c