Description
On a moonlit summer night in the village of Mano (真野の里), in the ancient Mutsu Province (陸奥国), Princess Nadeshiko (なでしこ姫), who was fulling under a willow (柳) among the morning glories (朝顔), bellflowers (桔梗) and maidenflowers (女郎花), is attacked by the robber Tsuchikuro (土九郎) and defends herself by throwing at him the kinuta (砧) mallet she was using to pound the cloth.
This precious woodblock print, made in March 1885 by the publisher Kobayashi Tetsujiro (小林鉄次郎), is taken from the series “Snow, Moon and Flowers” (雪月花) by the artist Toyohara Chikanobu (豊原周延) and is entitled “Oshu, Moon over Mano Village: the Legend of Hatsu-kinuta” (奥州 真野の里の月 幼きぬたの古事).
The print on Japanese washi paper (和紙), despite the right signs of aging, is in good condition.
