Yoshitoshi 芳年: Heron Maiden 鷺娘 (Sagi musume) (Sold)

Artist: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi芳年 (1839-1892)

Title: Heron Maiden鷺娘 (Sagi musume)
Series: “New Forms of Thirty-six Ghosts”
Date: 1889

The sweet visage of the Heron Maiden is emphasized by the radiating spires of the umbrella that she carries against the falling snow. She reaches out in greeting towards two herons that cross in front of all of the elements of the design, their wings even covering a portion of the cartouche and their feet extending into the margin. Another heron is at her feet. She is of course by nature a heron, and she wears layers of snowy white brocade. As the story goes, a young man who rescues a heron soon after meets a mysterious and beautiful girl. They fall in love and marry, and she makes him promise to never look at her while she weaves her beautiful brocade. One day he cannot help but peek, and sees that she is of course  the heron that he had saved. After her secret is exposed, she must fly away and leave him forever. One of the greatest designs in this series, there is blindprinting (kata-zuri) of the feathers of the birds and in the kimono of the beauty. With the three-color cartouche of the first edition.

Condition: Excellent impression and color. Very good condition. Some repairs of paper, mostly outside of margin. 

Dimensions: 36.5 x 25 cm
Publisher: Sasaki; Engraver: Yamamoto
Literature: Stevenson, plate II. See Minneapolis Institute of Art, Art Institute of ChicagoSeal: Taiso
Signature: Yoshitoshi

SKU: YOT882