A court lady dressed in elaborate traditional clothing and holding a folded fan, against a dark ground, beams radiating around her. She represents Sotoorihime, one of the Three Gods of Japanese Poetry.
This is actually a reprint after the image in the series Three Gods of Japanese Poetry, Wakasanjin, of circa 1826 (RP-P-1958-370). The Three Gods of Japanese Poetry, Wakasanjin, is essentially a group of eminent poets. However, various authorities define them in different ways. The earliest were probably three gods such as Uwazutsunoo no mikoto, Nakazutsunoo no mikoto and Sokozutsunoo no mikoto, all worshipped as enshrined deities at Sumiyoshi. Drawing upon more classical poets, some have identified them as Sotoorihime, Kakinomoto no Hitomaro and Yamabe no Akahito; sometimes Yamabe no Akahito is replaced with Sumiyoshi Myojin. Another combination is Sumiyoshi Myojin, Tenman Tenjin and Tamatsushima no kami.
Although this may initially appear to be a cut-down shikishiban, it is complete as it is.
One poem by Hakumosha Manmori [a judge of the Katsushikaren, according to Kano, which appears to be correct in view of his involvement in an untitled pentaptych on the Soga drama designed by Gakutei in c. 1823, RP-P-1958-415].
Issued by the poet
Signature reading: Gakutei
