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Mizuno Toshikata (1866-1908) was born as Mizuno Kumejiro in Kanda, Tokyo. When he was 13 years old, his father sent him to the nishiki-e printmaking school of Tsukioka Yoshitoshi. He was also apprenticed to a ceramic painter. And later he was instructed in traditional Japanese painting by Shibata Hoshu and Watanabe Seitei.
He did a little bit of everything - war prints, illustrations and nevertheless he managed to continue a career as a serious painter and printmaker. In 1887 he was lucky and could get the job formerly held by Yoshitoshi as an illustrator at Yamato shinbun - a Tokyo newspaper. This gave him a stable income.
Mizuno published several series of bijin prints and genre scenes with women and children. Among his publishers were Sato Shotaro and Akiyama Buemon. His representative artworks are "Thirty-six Selected Beauties" and "Fountain Water (Iwa Shimizu zu)".
After 1900 Mizuno Toshikata was a well-recognized illustrator, painter and printmaker. He became teacher of Kaburagi Kiyokata, Arai Kanpo and Ikeda Terukata.
This series is based on the famous anthology of waka poems "Thirty six Master Poets" compiled by Fujiwara-no-Kintou. Master poets has been popular theme for artists. Toshikata depicted 36 beauties from different periods of time from ancient time to the Edo era and the viewers can see the customs and manners of different periods.
This artwork depicts a beauty from the Tenmei era (late 18th C) who is catching fireflies with her attendant. At that time, catching fireflies or hotaru-gari was one of the popular summer leisure events. A woman seems to be holding a firefly in her hand and her attendant is holding a basket for her to put it in.
On the other side of the river, there are some people with nets catching fireflies are depicted in silhouette. Viewers can feel the Edo people's zeal for firefly catching at the evening riverside.
Artist's signature and a seal applied on the left below
The title "Sanjyu-rokkasen Hoteru-gari Tenmei-koro-fujin" is written in the cartouche in the upper left. Karazuri embossing is applied here.
Good impression and colors
Repair mark and stains on the back
Slight Burn
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