Artist: Mizuno Toshikata (水野年方, 1866–1908) Title: Chrysanthemum Viewing — Women of the Kanpō Era (菊見 寛保頃婦人) Series: Thirty-six Selected Beauties (Sanjūroku Kasen) Date: 1891–1894 Technique: Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper Format: Ōban, approx. 36 × 24 cm Condition: Very good impression with fresh, vibrant colours. Light toning to paper, some soiling. Please refer to the images for full condition details. About the print: Two women pause at a rocky seashore beneath the sweeping arc of an ancient pine, its gnarled trunk reaching across the composition like a stage curtain drawn open on the sea beyond. The standing figure wears a flowing pale blue kimono alive with scattered momiji (maple leaf) motifs in amber and gold, over a green undergarment glimpsed at the collar and hem — the layered dressing typical of a woman of substance in the mid-Edo period. Her companion sits among the rocks, wrapped in a warm peach-coloured robe patterned with chrysanthemum roundels, her posture relaxed as she gazes toward the horizon. The chrysanthemums that give the design its title bloom in profusion among the coastal rocks, their white petals a quiet counterpoint to the churning green-blue waves behind. In the distance, a yellow band of light marks the horizon and small birds wheel above the surf — details that anchor the scene in a particular moment of late autumn stillness. The setting during the Kanpō era (1741–1744), a brief and relatively peaceful interlude under the eighth Tokugawa shogun Yoshimune, places these women squarely in the period when chrysanthemum viewing (kiku no sekku) was an established seasonal pastime for the cultivated classes, celebrated on the ninth day of the ninth month as one of the five great festivals. Interesting notes about this series: Published between 1891 and 1894, the series pairs elegant depictions of women from various historical periods with scenes of daily life — tea ceremony, music, travel, and leisure — offering a nostalgic panorama of feminine grace across the ages. This series was directly inspired by Yoshitoshi's iconic One Hundred Aspects of the Moon and showcases refined mokuhanga techniques throughout, including burnishing (tsuyazuri) on black areas such as the lacquered hat, delicate embossing (karazuri), and subtle bokashi gradation. Many designs in the series also feature metallic pigments. The prints were produced on high-quality hosho paper using plant-based pigments, resulting in colours that have retained their freshness remarkably well over more than a century. Affordably priced on today's market relative to their exceptional craftsmanship, the Sanjūroku Kasen series represents a perfect entry point into the world of ukiyo-e collecting — offering museum-quality printing at an accessible price.