歌川國芳画　「源氏雲浮世画合　空蝉 / 曾我五郎時致」|“‘A Molted Cicada Shell’ (Utsusemi): Soga Gorō Tokimune,” from the series Scenes amid Genji Clouds Matched with Ukiyo-e Pictures (Genji-gumo ukiyo e-awase)

Art Historical Context

This vibrant woodblock print by Utagawa Kuniy, a master of the ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world") tradition, dates to around 1845–61 during Japan's Edo period. Titled *“‘A Molted Cicada Shell’ (Uusemi): Soga Gorō Tokimune”*, it belongs to the series *Scenes amid Genji Clouds Mat with Ukiyo-e Pictures*. Kuniyoshi ingeniously pairs a scene from the classic 11th-century novel * Tale of Genji*where "Utsusemi" evokes a lady's fleeting romance, symbolized by a discarded cicada shell—with the dramatic figure of Soga Gorō Tokimune, a vengeful warrior from a beloved Japanese legend about fraternal revenge. Printed in the lavish nishiki-e ("brocade picture") technique, this large-format ōban sheet (about 14 x 9 inches) showcases Kuniyoshi's skill in layering vivid inks and colors through intricate woodblock carving. Edo-era ukiyo-e like this democratized art, making sophisticated imagery affordable via mass production, often inspired by kabuki theater and literature. Kuniyoshi's dynamic compositions, blending musha-e (warrior prints) with literary motifs, captured the era's fascination with heroism and impermanence. A gift to the Metropolitan Museum of Art from Ronin Gallery in 2018, this print highlights ukiyo-e's cultural bridge between elite tales and popular imagination, inviting viewers to ponder parallels between romantic transience and unyielding loyalty.

About the Artist

Utagawa Kuniyoshi · 1797–1861

Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797–1861) was born in Edo to the silk-dyer Yanagiya Kichiyemon, originally bearing the childhood name Yoshisaburō. From a young age, he assisted in his family's pattern design work, which sharpened his innate mastery of color and textile motifs that would permeate his later prints. At around twelve years old, his prodigious drawing skills drew the attention of the renowned Utag...