Japanese Print, Surimono By Hokusai: The Pearls Of The Low Tide And The Scythe Of The Fujiwara

KANJU MANJU FUJI NO MAKIKAMA
Proof with embossing and gold highlights.
Small freckle at the top.
Shikishiban, nishikie, ca.1890
From the suite: the four important clans of Japan ( Shisei No Uchi ).
The pearls of the receding tide are laid next to the Fujiwara clan scythe on a silken cloth, decorated with plum blossoms, draped over a three-legged table. Two poems accompany the composition.

The Fujiwara clan ( Fujiwara-shi ) is a family of Japanese nobility from which many emperors emerged during the Nara and Heian periods, from the 8th to the 12th centuries of our calendar. Branches of the clan have continued to play an important role in the Japanese aristocracy well into contemporary times. The name Fujiwara means "wisteria enclosure".