A vintage Japanese shikishi (色紙) features handwritten calligraphy in black ink, shaped like a folding fan.
The text is titled 「女の一生」 ("A Woman’s Life"), and it poetically describes the different stages of a woman’s life, decade by decade, using gentle, reflective language.
A Woman’s Life In her twenties — beautiful, In her thirties — strong, In her forties — abundant, In her fifties — graceful, In her sixties — healthy, In her seventies — peaceful, In her eighties — lovable, And after that — Beautiful, like burnished silver.
Overall, this shikishi expresses a poetic celebration of feminine beauty, strength, and grace throughout the stages of life, emphasizing inner refinement and timeless elegance as one ages — much like the enduring luster of aged silver.
