Syllable - Re from the series Tales of Ise in Fashionable Brocade Prints, c.1770-1773 (woodblock...

From a series of 22 prints illustrating the 11th century novel 'Tales of Ise'. Dominant colour is green to yellow-green, with pale sepia brown and yellow ochre to pale orange. Palace interior. A nobleman reclining on a square carpet with arm rest. He faces a male visitor, with gifts on lacquer table and box, with boy attendant to his left. Both visitors with backs to observer. Behind group is screen (with flowering branch design) and in window recess to observer's right is a makemono, a pile of books and writing box. At top corner of each print is a single character (of Kana type) each different and enclosed in circle (0.8cm diameter).