Framed Ukiyo-e Woodblock Print By Kunisada

This Edo-period ukiyo-e woodblock print was created by Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III, 1786-1865), one of the most prolific and admired Japanese printmakers of the 19th century. Part of his series Hyakunin Isshu no Uchi (One Hundred Poems by One Hundred Poets, Explained by the Nurse), the design pairs a celebrated waka poem with an elegant female figure beneath blossoming cherry trees.

The accompanying verse is by Ariwara no Narihira (825-880), a famous Heian-period poet, and reads:

Chihayaburu
kamiyo mo kikazu
Tatsutagawa
karakurenai ni
mizu kukuru to wa

(Even in the age of the mighty gods, I have never heard that the Tatsuta River dyed its waters deep crimson with the autumnal leaves.)

Kunisada interprets the imagery through rich kimono designs and seasonal motifs: a standing beauty in a floral robe attended by a younger figure offering a gift. The result blends bijin-ga elegance with the literary sophistication of classical Japanese poetry.

• Artist: Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III, 1786-1865)
• Series: Hyakunin Isshu no Uchi (One Hundred Poems by One Hundred Poets, Explained by the Nurse)
• Poem: No. 17 by Ariwara no Narihira (825-880)
• Date: c.1850s-1860s, late Edo period
• Format: Vertical ōban (approx. 37 x 25 cm)
• Medium: Woodblock print (nishiki-e), polychrome on paper
• Publisher: Iseya Ichibei (Kinjudo), Edo

A beautiful and collectable work of Edo-period ukiyo-e, combining Kunisada's mastery of bijin-ga with the enduring appeal of the Hyakunin Isshu.