Comment - Attractive image of two beauties at New Year's Day. The kneeling woman holds an offering tray topped with a lobster, pine branches, and ferns, a traditional New Year holiday offering. She wears a yellow kimono patterned with cherry blossoms, tied with a pink and black flower print obi.

Her companion holds a blue Edo kite ("Edo-tako", "江戸凧"). The Edo kite contains a white character ("Kanji kite", "ji tako", "字凧") for "taka" ( "高") meaning high, big, tall, or Lord (depending on reading). The inset at upper left shows a scene from Act 1 (Shodan-me, 初段目) of the classic kabuki play "Kanadehon Chūshingura", with the kneeling Lady Kaoyo holding an offering tray and Lord Moronao standing next to her in a black robe with obviously the same character from the kite. Shodan-me (First Stage, 初段目) is the correct title of this woodblock, written within the small cassette upper left.

In a sideshow of the courts happenings, Lord Morano tries to lure Lord Asanos wife Lady Kaoyo (see above insert of woodblock).


Series - "Modern Full Length Play of Chushinggura" ("Imayō sugatami Tachi Chūshingura", "今様姿見立忠臣蔵")


Artist - see Biography


Signature -  "Keisai Eisen ga" ("渓斎英泉画") on the lower right (as pupil of Kikugawa Eizan) 


Publisher - Yamamoto-ya Heikichi (出本屋平吉), Eikyūdō Publisher's (栄久堂) by seal


Image Size - 23.2 x  33.7cm  (9 1/8" x 13 1/4")


Condition - single panel; nishiki-e (cloured woodblock); Vertical ôban (ôban tate-e);