Comment - Charming scene of a group of children celebrating the New Year. The boy at lower right carries a scroll box while another boy sits on a platform holding a kite spool of red string. Behind him, in the back row, a boy and a girl hold three different Edo kites with kanji characters (blue kite with white kanji, white kite with violet kanji) (Edo Kanji kite,  "Edo ji tako",  "江戸 字凧"). The boy in a black and red sanbaso dancer's hat holds a red Edo kite decorated with white kanji characters. The girl beside him holds a miniature bow and arrow and behind her, a boy adjusts a hat in the shape of a die. Another Edo kite (white kanji character in red oval and black grey white ornaments) rests on the floor next to him. A folding screen features a flock of cranes taking flight, the slope of Mount Fuji is to be seen at the left hand background. The title is in the red-white green casette on the upper right.

The woodblock print is the right panel of a triptych. The left part was paraphrased as "New Year’s Celebrations" (Two beauties and two children with happy faces enjoy the festivities of the New Year).


Series - ~


Artist - see Biography


Signature - "Kunisato-ga" ("国郷画", "painted by Kunisato") in red oval Otoshidama ring on lower right


Publisher - Wakasaya Yoichi (若挟屋輿市), Jakurin-dō Publishing house (若林堂)


Image Size - 24.8cm X  36.5cm   or   9 3/4" x 14 3/8" (+ margins)


Condition - single sheet, left panel of a tripych; nishiki-e (cloured woodblock); Vertical ôban (ôban tate-e);