Set A: Hana Moyō (Patterns for Flowers), by Kobayashi Kiyochika (1847-1915), is a series of triptychs published in 1896, each one of which features a beautiful woman from a specific historical era set against a distant background scene. The Keichō Era (1596-1615). The print at the top design is often described as being a picture of a male actor; the subject is actually a woman. As we are so accustomed to the fact that men play both the male and female roles on the kabuki stage nowadays, and have done since 1629, it may surprise you to learn that kabuki’s creator was in fact a woman. Her name was Okuni and she is the woman depicted here. She is shown dressed as a man, taking part in a performance which took place on the third day of the sixth month of 1606. Middle print: The Kan’ei (1624-1643) and Shōhō (1644-1648) Eras. A beauty reading a scroll, wearing her hair in the shimada style. Bottom print: From the Jō-ō (1652-1655) to the Manji Era (1658-1661). A beauty wearing her hair in the karawa style, seated in a boat on the river, with another pleasure boat passing behind in the distance. Text and image via Gina Collia-Suzuki.