Oshikochi no Mitsune, Poet No. 29, circa 1847 - Fantastic image of the young acolyte Shiragikumaru from the famous kabuki play, "Sakura Hime." In love with the priest Seigen, the couple decides to commit suicide by jumping off a cliff into the sea, but Seigen hesitates, and Shiragikumaru dies alone. He is shown here in the stormy sea holding a stone tablet over his head, a skull in his mouth. A flame rises from the left, his spirit that will come back as Princess Sakura. A terrific image from this great story, with excellent detail and fine line work. The poem for this design is by Oshikochi no Mitsune, and the verse reads:

If it were my wish To pick the white chrysanthemums,
Puzzled by the frost
Of the early autumn time,
I by chance might pluck the flower.

A wonderful supernatural design by Kuniyoshi.

Artist - Kuniyoshi (1797 - 1861)

Image Size - 13 1/4" x 8 3/4" + margins as shown

Condition - This print with excellent color and detail as shown. Small hole, thinning at edges, repaired. Slight toning and creasing, a few small spots, slight soiling. Please see photos for details. Good overall.