Beauties in the Mirror
— Woodblock Print Motifs
2 October (Fri) to 20 December (Sun), 2009
There are many standards of feminine beauty, but in Japan, perfectly long, black hair was always in particular favor among Japanese women. But the way that long, black hair was presented in hairstyles changed radically in the years spanning the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This exhibition featured a series of woodblock prints showing how perceptions of beautiful hair changed, from traditional combed styles to the gentle waves of Western-influenced styles, along the way illustrating the high fashions of each era.