Kuniyoshi 国芳: Beauty Stroking an Inari Fox Statue 四日市

Artist: Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861) Title: Beauty Stroking an Inari Fox Statue 四日市 Series: Eight Views of Night Visiting (Yomairi hakkei) 夜参八景 Date: Ca. 1845 Here we see a beauty stroking a Fox Guardian kitsune statue of Inari at the Nezu Gongen Shrine in the city of Yokkaichi. Because this is Kuniyoshi, it seems that the stone fox is responding to being petted with an expression of pleasure. In the background we see the bustling Sumida River, with a bridge, a watchtower and storehouses in the distance. This series  features eight beauties visiting a Buddhist temple or Shinto shrine at night. The Nezu Gongen shrine was built in 1706 and still stands today; three of its buildings are designated as Important Cultural Properties. Condition: Excellent impression and condition. Very good color. Unbacked and untrimmed. Dimensions: ôban (37.8 x 25.3 cm) Publisher: Iba-ya Senzaburo Literature: Robinson, Kuniyoshi: The Warrior-Prints (1982),series 102. Schaap 10.2. Seal: kiri Signature: Ichiy