Description
On an autumn evening, the exiled noble Fujiwara no Moronaga (藤原師長) attracts, with the melancholy notes of his biwa (琵琶) lute, the attention of a mysterious wanderer who, after assuming the appearance of the Namahage (生剥) demon that can be glimpsed in the upper inset, reveals to him that she is a Suijin (水神) water deity.
This precious woodblock print, made in December 1884 by the publisher Kobayashi Tetsujiro (小林鉄次郎) and by the carver Wada Yujiro (和田勇次郎), is taken from the series “Snow, Moon and Flowers” (雪月花) by the artist Toyohara Chikanobu (豊原周延) and is titled “Owari Province: Moon at Mount Miyaji, Taisei Daijin Moronaga and Suijin” (尾張 宮路山月 大政大臣師長 水神).
The print on Japanese washi paper (和紙), despite the right signs of aging, is in good condition.
