Woodblock Print by Chikanobu Toyohara: Morito Deceived, Cuts Off the Head of Adzuma

Patterned silk everywhere, and one very bad decision in the middle of it.

Morito Deceived, Cuts Off the Head of Adzuma is a woodblock print by Chikanobu Toyohara (1838-1912), from Japan, dated 1892. It is ink on paper. Meiji printmakers often illustrated famous episodes from Japanese history and legend, and the tragic tale of Morito and Kesa Gozen was a favorite. A samurai in a blue robe with white flower medallions leans over a sleeping figure on a richly patterned quilt. A red kimono hangs on a stand behind, beside a window showing waves. The English title runs along the top, with Japanese text in the cartouches. It is 9.9 inches wide and 14.25 high.

Drama, as the Meiji audience liked it, with no shortage of textiles.