Patterns of Yayoi

Catalog note / 解説

This unsigned print was designed by Hokusai early in his career, when he was using the name Shunrô. He shows a courtesan and her attendants framed by cherry blossom cascading from the boughs above their heads. The courtesan, brush and paper in hand, is composing a poem to capture this moment. Active for over seventy years, Hokusai was a highly prolific artist. His works include some of the most iconic and well-known prints of the ukiyo-e genre. Also, because his output was so large, new discoveries are sometimes made. This particular print, in the collections of the V&A since 1886, was recently identified as an early example of his work. It is believed to be the only existing impression of…