Spring Mountains, no. 2

Catalog note / 解説

Even without the second pair of prints that would have formed the right-hand half of this work, Hokkei’s composition is full of dynamism and interest. Two tengu (bird-like mythical creatures) tumble headlong against the backdrop of a waterfall, while the legendary mountain hag Yamauba (sometimes Yamamba) sits at the foot of a tree. Half human and half spirit, Yamauba trapped and devoured travellers and children. However, she also took in and raised the orphan Kintaro, a popular hero in Japanese tales, and as such she is sometimes depicted as a motherly figure. These two prints are examples of surimono: privately published prints produced in small numbers, often to private commission. Not in…