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Author: Ogata Gekkō (尾形月耕).
Subject: Bow and arrows (Yumiya, 弓矢).
Series: Pictures of flowers of Japan (Nihon hana Zue, 日本花図絵).
Number: 10/36.
Genre: musha-e (武者絵).
Size: large (ōban, 大判) 35,4cm x 24cm (13,93 x 9,44 inches).
Publisher: Matsuki Eikichi (松木平吉).
Period: c. 1898.
Trimmed: no
Backed: yes
Code: OGK01001
Condition: The general condition is good. Colors are clear and well-preserved.
The surface is quite clean, except for some stains and light halos on the right border,
which is slightly damaged. It has been backed.
A warrior, presumably Taira no Tadanori (平忠度), brother of the Taira clan leader Kiyomori (清盛),
is depicted sitting under a tree taking a rest while writing a poem on a strip of paper.
The poem is displayed within the white cartouche in the upper-right corner of the print. It is sourced
from one of the most famous war tales in Japanese classic literature, the Heike Monogatari (平家物語), and
is attributed to Tadanori himself.
"Yuki kurete ko no shita kage wo yado to seba hana ya koyohi no jinaramashi.
(行き暮れて木の下陰を宿とせば花やこよひの主ならまし)".
'As evening falls and I take shelter under a tree's shadow, making it my lodging, might the blossoms above
me serve as my hosts this evening?'
Techniques such as embossing (karasuri, 空摺) on the white cartouche and mica printing (kirabiki, 雲母引) on
the warrior's garment have been employed in this print.