The First Month (Mutsuki), 1855 - Attractive illustration of Prince Genji and his companions celebrating the New Year. He sits on a cushion with a slender pipe in one hand, smiling as he looks up at the courtesan at left. She grins back at him, a poem slip in her outstretched hand, elegantly dressed in a black outer robe with a subtle burnished geometric pattern bordered with egrets, grasses, and purple blossoms. At right, a woman practices origami, a sheet of papers and a scissors on the floor nearby. The young girl at her side holds a handball, looking down with an interested expression. A folding screen at the back of the room depicts a blossoming plum tree covered with snow and framed with golden yellow clouds. A charming design with wonderful detail in the fabrics and setting. The Boston Museum of Fine Arts has this image in its collection.

Artist - Kunisada II (1823 - 1880)

Image Size - 13 7/8" x 28 7/8" + top margin as shown

Condition - This print with good color and detail as shown. Three separate panels, backed with paper. Slight toning and soiling, a few marks, slight curling at sides. Please see photos for details. Good overall.