Playing a Game with Shells - Lovely image of beauties preparing to play a game called kai-awase involving painted clam shells. Each half of a shell would be painted with a scene or poem, and players would try to match the two halves of each shell. At right, a girl lifts a clamshell with a colorful image on it from an elegant black lacquer box, carefully placing it next to others on the floor. Another woman at left unties the cord tied around a similar container. The beauty in the center smiles as she watches, wearing a black outer kimono shaded to yellow at the hem and patterned with blossoms over a red under robe. A large chest with sliding floral screen doors sits at right with a pair of scrolls and a box on top. Beautifully detailed with embossing on the white kimono collars and tri, and burnishing and silver mica on the lacquer boxes. A beautiful scene from upper-class life.

Artist - Chikanobu (1838 - 1912)

Image Size - 14 1/8" x 28 1/8" + margins as shown

Condition - This print with excellent detail as shown. Three separate panels. Slight toning, soiling, and creasing, a few small marks, stain. Please see photos for details.