Here is a beautiful ukiyo-e print by Kitagawa Utamaro (c1753-1806), a famous ukiyo-e artist active in the Edo period.
The subject of this piece is Naniwaya Okita (c1779-c1793), a waitress of the Naniwaya-tea-house located on the east side of Asakusa Temple. She was also featured in the famous ukiyo-e print “The Three Beauties of the Kansei Era”.
In this ukiyo-e, Okita of the Naniwaya-tea-house is holding a cup of tea.
A short poem written on the upper left is a kyôka (comic poems).
Japanese:
「なにはやてふ茶屋にやすらひて 難波津の名におふ者はゆきかひにあしのとまらぬ 人もあらしな 桂眉住」
English:
“(Resting at Naniwaya tea house) There is not a single person that will not stop to have a look at the beautiful Okita of the Naniwaya” by Katsura no Mayuzumi
What this means is that everyone stopped in front of Naniwaya tea house to take look at the beautiful Okita.
It is interesting to find these art works from the past.