Comment - Handsome portrait of three beauties "Gathering Spring Greens" and herbs for making a special soup, a traditional custom to bring health and longevity for the New Year. The woman at left bends over as she picks small sprigs, her companions watching with amusement. The beauty in the center wears a lovely kimono patterned with cherry blossoms and stylized shells, a cluster of flowers adorning her hair.

The woman at right carries a basket, dressed in a kimono patterned with white plum blossoms and a variety of kites: two bird-of-prey kites ("tonbi dako", "鳶凧" or "kite kite"), a fan-kite ("Sensu tako", "扇子凧") with the Japanese Flag, and an Edo-kite ("Edo-tako", "江戸凧") with white kanji on a sanguine background (Kanji kite, "ji tako", "字凧"). Kites and plum blossoms are both symbols of the New Year. The hills are dotted with small pine trees, arranged like New Years decoration. The sky is softly shaded in slight deep blue along the top edge (bokashi shading). The title is written in the cassette right panel, upper right.


Series - ~


Artist - see Biography


Signature - Toyokuni ga (豊国 画), on all panels


Publisher - Ryōkoku Daheihan (両國 大平板), Shōjudō Publisher's (松寿堂)


Image Size - 36.5 x  75.6 cm (14 3/8" x 29 3/4") + margins as shown


Condition - triptych, three single panels; nishiki-e (cloured woodblock); Vertical ôban (ôban tate-e);