退潮——贝类采集——三十六位精选美人——日本木版画 - Mizuno Toshikata (1866-1908) - 日本 - 明治時期（1868-1912）

Artist: Mizuno Toshikata (水野年方, 1866–1908)
Title: Low Tide — Women of the Bunka Era (汐干 文化頃婦人)
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:

One of the most atmospheric compositions in the entire series, this design captures the popular Edo-period pastime of shiohigari — shellfish gathering at low tide — with a townwoman and her companion bent to the work on a broad tidal flat. The standing figure dominates the middle ground: a stylish beauty in a lavender kimono printed with green clover motifs, her sleeves looped back with a bold red and floral tasuki sash, and her skirts hitched above bare feet and ankles to keep them clear of the wet sand. She holds a bucket in one hand and raises the other to her mouth — perhaps biting back a laugh or shielding herself against the salt breeze. Beside her, a second woman in working dress of striped blue and green bends low over the sand, sleeves tied, actively digging for clams.

Behind them, the receding tide has exposed a vast dark expanse of beach, rendered in soft grey and charcoal bokashi that conveys the gleam of wet sand. A cluster of fishing boats sits grounded at low water, their tall bare masts rising against a sky of pale blue with drifting clouds — a wonderfully understated passage of atmospheric printing. In the far distance, more figures and a laden horse pick their way along the shore, anchoring the scene in the busy communal reality of a spring tide-gathering day. The Bunka era (1804–1818) places the scene in the culturally vibrant late Edo period, when shiohigari was one of the most beloved seasonal outings for townspeople of all classes, eagerly awaited each spring along the beaches of Shinagawa, Shibaura, and Fukagawa.

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.