Artist: Utagawa Kunisada 歌川国貞, signing as Toyokuni III 豊国 (1786–1864) Title: Imayō Genji yoru adanami 今様源氏寄仇浪 (The Modern Genji and the Lapping Waves), provisional reading Format: Ōban tate-e, 2 sheets, each approx. 25 × 36 cm Technique: Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and colour on paper Date: c. 1860 (Man'en 1), from the censor seal, provisional Publisher: Daikokuya Heikichi 大黒屋平吉, Ryōgoku (seal 本両国 大平板) Carver: Yokogawa Takejirō 横川彫竹 (Hori Take) Signature: 豊国画 (Toyokuni ga) in toshidama cartouche, on each sheet ________________________________________________________ CONDITION Fair colours and impression. The paper is clean, firm and subtle. Good condition overall! Please check the images! ________________________________________________________ ABOUT THE PRINT "Imayō Genji" ("the modern Genji") refers to Mitsuuji, the hero of Ryūtei Tanehiko's bestselling illustrated novel Nise Murasaki Inaka Genji (A Fake Murasaki and a Rustic Genji). The novel moved the Tale of Genji from the Heian court to the Muromachi period, and Kunisada illustrated it from 1829. The book's success created a whole genre of Genji-e prints. In these prints, Mitsuuji appears as an elegant nobleman in seasonal pleasure scenes, and Kunisada was the genre's leading designer. This design is from the last years of his career, when his studio was producing large numbers of richly coloured triptychs for the Edo market.