This is an 1857 woodblock print by Ukiyo-e master Utagawa Kunisada (1823-1900) titled “Illusion.” It is described as one of the “Game Cards for the Chapters of Lady Murasaki’s Tale of Genji”—the eleventh century novel depicting the lives of Japan’s high courtiers during Heian period. The print is 14″ x 9-13/16″ (oban size). We gave it a simple 4-ply solid core mat and set it in a 5/8″ wide ebonized walnut frame with staggered and flared corners shaped to repeat the lines of the kimono. A 1/8″ wide slip (or fillet), painted to match the red in the the print, follows and accents the shaped corners.
