Woman Playing Shamisen (Fox Woman)

From the Minneapolis Institute of Art record

In Japanese folklore, foxes (kitsune) transformed themselves into humans in order to play tricks on unsuspecting people. They commonly take the shape of a beautiful woman and lead lovelorn men astray. The woman in this Ōtsu-e apears to be a prostitute of the licensed entertainment district. Dressed in a beautiful kimono, her skin whitened by cosmetics, she is playing a three-stringed shamisen. Protruding from the hem of her robe, however, is a bushy tail that betrays her true nature. The inscription is a playful comment on the nature of human deceit. If you are sharp witted, you will detect an insincere woman's artful pretense; if she is more cunning, she will discover your own duplicity. Asia