Artist: Mizuno Toshikata (水野年方, 1866–1908) Title: Uzuki — The Fourth Month (卯月) 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: A court lady of an earlier age kneels at the open edge of a veranda (engawa), her hand raised toward a flowering white shrub as she turns her gaze skyward. Above her, two small birds wheel past a crescent moon half-veiled by clouds, the whole upper register handled in the cool nocturnal palette — deep slate, pale green, and white — that is among Toshikata's most distinctive contributions to the series. A pine leans into the frame from the left; to the right, a bamboo trellis structure recedes into the moonlit garden, grounding the lyrical scene with careful architectural detail. The woman's costume is one of the most complex in the series: a multilayered ensemble in vivid yellow-ground silk patterned with blue roundels and green vine-lattice over a blue robe with large white floral medallions, finished with a red under-robe visible at the hem and a black lacquered court cap (eboshi-style) — identifying her as an aristocratic figure of the Heian or early medieval period. The pairing of uzuki — the month of the u no hana (deutzia blossom) in the old lunar calendar — with this moonlit garden scene is characteristic of Toshikata's quiet seasonal intelligence throughout the series. 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.