Mountain Roses of Ide - Rekisentei Eiri

A refined ukiyo-e woodblock print by Rekisentei Eiri, depicting three women wading through the Ide River amidst blooming mountain roses.

This woodblock print by Rekisentei Eiri depicts a scene from the series A Parodic Six Jewel Rivers. The work features three women wading through the shallow waters of the Ide River, a location historically associated with the yellow yamabuki, or mountain rose. The artist employs the bijin-ga style, focusing on the graceful forms and elaborate attire of the figures. Each woman wears a kimono adorned with floral motifs, their hair styled in the fashion of the late eighteenth century. The composition balances the figures against the flowing lines of the water, which are rendered with minimal, rhythmic strokes.

Rekisentei Eiri was active during the mid-to-late Edo period, a time when the ukiyo-e genre flourished. This print demonstrates the artist's ability to blend classical poetic references with contemporary fashion. The parodic nature of the series reinterprets traditional themes, placing them within the context of the pleasure districts. The colour palette remains restrained, relying on soft earth tones and muted greens to evoke the natural setting. The print captures a moment of leisure, reflecting the aesthetic values of the urban merchant class of the era. The figures appear elongated, a characteristic trait of Eiri's work, which adds to the sense of elegance and poise. The inclusion of the yamabuki flowers at the bottom of the frame provides a visual anchor, connecting the human subjects to the seasonal landscape. This piece offers a view into the artistic conventions of the period, where literature, nature, and human beauty were frequently synthesised into a single visual narrative.