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Shin Hanga prints

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	Design:	Masao Ebina (1913 - 1980)
	Title:	Hotaru
	Series title:	Genji monogatari (Tale of Genji)
	Size:	21.2 x 30.8 cm (chūban)
	Original woodblock print
	Photography:	Jacques Commandeur

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Enlargement

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Special effects: silver metallic pigments on the fireflies, the kimono, the fan, and the small table; gold metallic pigments on the curtain stand; silver mica in the background.

Published in 1953 by the Yamada Shoin Company.

Hotaru (i.e., The Fireflies) is the title of Chapter 25 of the Genji monogatari written by Murasaki Shikibu in the early 11^th century.

Artist’s seal in lower right of the print area:

in which the kanji read (from right to left):

Character	Reading	Meaning	Translation
正	masa(ni)	just
夫	otto	husband	Masao

Genji-mon of Chapter 25 of the Tale of Genji in top right of the print area:

together with the title of the print:

Character	Reading	Meaning	Translation
蛍	hotaru	firefly	Fireflies

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Another fabulous print inspired by the chapter Hotaru of the Genji monogatari and designed by Okada Yoshio can be seen on my website here.

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References

• John Fiorillo’s Genji-mon webpage.

• The complete set of 54 prints can be seen on Ross Walker’s Ohmi Gallery here.

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Provenance: Fuji Arts