Description
On the occasion of the Hinamatsuri (雛祭り) Doll’s Day, three young women and two girls play together in an extremely refined setting. The small group in the center of the room is playing otedama (お手玉) with small cloth bags filled with beans; the girl on the left is attracting a little dog with an inubako (犬筥) makeup box.
The precious triptych of woodblock prints is titled “Doll Plays” (雛あそび) and is taken from the series “The Five Annual Ceremonies” (五節句内) by the artist Tsukioka Kogyo (月岡耕漁), student and adopted son of the famous Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (月岡芳年).
The prints, produced in February 1892 by the publisher Yazawa Hisakichi (矢沢久吉), despite the right signs of aging, are in good condition.
