Lovers with a Bird Cage

A young woman presents a caged bird to her suitor, who slips a love letter into her hand. The elegant cusped form of the window frame replicates a Chinese architectural style that became a luxurious element of some upper-class Japanese residences. Through the window with its paper-covered shoji drawn aside, a blossoming plum branch suggests that the season is the New Year, which occurs during the lunar calendar in late January or early February. Visits would have been customary during this time of year, and the young couple has taken advantage of a rare opportunity to meet. Harunobu's print designs are beautifully composed and exploit the aesthetic potential of full-color printing, which was first seen in Japanese prints in 1765.