Hour of the Tiger: 3:00 - 5:00

One design from Utamaro's famous series 'Twelve Hours in the Yoshiwara' - actually 24 hours, as the day is here broken into 12 2-hour groups.

This print represents the Hour of the Tiger, which equates roughly to what we would call 4:00 am. A peckish courtesan has slipped on her client's jacket and is heating some food on a brazier. Another courtesan, pipe in hand, joins her to gossip about the night's events.

The series makes extensive use of tiny flakes of gold leaf scattered in the background. This version is from the Adachi Company, probably from the 70s to early 80s.