Toshikata: Beauty catching fireflies
Move your mouse over image or click to enlarge

Mizuno Toshikata (1866-1908)

A young beauty with her uchiwa fan catching fireflies on a summer night, assisted by a young man holding the firefly cage. In the background the humorous silhouettes of another hunting party.

Title: Hotaru-gari - Tenmei koro fujin (Catching fireflies – A woman of the Tenmei Era, 1781-89)

Series: Sanjûrokkasen (Thirty-six selected beauties)

Signature: Toshikata

Seal: Toshikata

Carver: Enkatsu tô (Noguchi Enkatsu)

Publisher: Akiyama Buemon, Tokyo

Date: Meiji 24 (1891)

Size: Vertical Oban, 32,6 x 22,2 cm (image size)

Excellent early impression in excellent colours, with strongly visible woodgrain. With gauffrage and some metal pigment. Full margins, unbacked. Paper a little a toned, in margins some minor soiling, small stains and tiny wormholes. A small paper loss in bottom edge backed. Overall very good condition.

Cf. MFA Boston, No. 41.940.6 a. o.; British Museum No. 1906,1220,0.1577

sold