Katsura-hime holding the Tiger Scroll, by Totoya Hokkei

An image of Katsura-hime holding the Tiger Scroll. Hokkei, Totoya (Japanese, 1780-1850). Surimono. Colour woodblock print with blind-embossing and metallic pigments. c.1830. Signed: Hokkei. Artist’s seals: Aoi(ga); Oka. Ukiyo-e. Notes: From the series Akabaneren (The Akabane poetry group), seven prints from which are known. The fan-shaped Akabane symbol is seen at the upper right. The prints may have been issued over several years as the styles and subjects differ. This print was probably made for the Year of the Tiger, 1830. Katsura-hime (often confused with Joruri-hime), was daughter of Kiichi Hogen, a military expert entrusted with the keeping of an ancient Chinese treatise on martial strategies known as the Tiger Scroll. In order to gain access to the scroll and its secrets, the famous warrior Minamoto no Yoshitsune (1159-1189) posed as a student and serenaded Katsura with his flute. She fell in love with him and eventually succumbed to his request that she bring him the scroll. The cranes on the black kimono were a symbol of longevity found on many surimono.

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Katsura-hime holding the Tiger Scroll. Hokkei, Totoya (Japanese, 1780-1850). Surimono. Colour woodblock print with blind-embossing and metallic pigments. c.1830. Signed: Hokkei. Artist’s seals: Aoi(ga); Oka. Ukiyo-e. Notes: From the series Akabaneren (The Akabane poetry group), seven prints from which are known. The fan-shaped Akabane symbol is seen at the upper right. The prints may have been issued over several years as the styles and subjects differ. This print was probably made for the Year of the Tiger, 1830. Katsura-hime (often confused with Joruri-hime), was daughter of Kiichi Hogen, a military expert entrusted with the keeping of an ancient Chinese treatise on martial strategies known as the Tiger Scroll. In order to gain access to the scroll and its secrets, the famous warrior Minamoto no Yoshitsune (1159-1189) posed as a student and serenaded Katsura with his flute. She fell in love with him and eventually succumbed to his request that she bring him the scroll. The cranes on the black kimono were a symbol of longevity found on many surimono.

Image data

Accession Number: P.348-1937
Photograph copyright © The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
Aperture: f/19.0
Focal length: 120
Camera: Hasselblad H3DII-31
Photographer name: Michael Jones
Image height: 1024 pixels
Image width: 911 pixels
Processed with: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5.0 (Windows)
Filesize: 0.96MB
Exposure time: 1/125
ISO Speed: 100
Fnumber: 19/1
Captured: 2018:10:24 15:13:07

Key words

19th Century birds blind embossing colour printing costume crane cranes embossed embossing fans female Fitz_PDP gofun hair hairstyle Japanese karazuri Katsura-hime kimono lady longevity metallic pigment pigment poetry poets print scrolls surimono tiger scroll Totoya Hokkei ukiyo-e verses warriors woman woodblock woodcut

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            The Fitzwilliam Museum (2026)
            "Katsura-hime holding the Tiger Scroll, by Totoya Hokkei "
            Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/image/media-218453 Accessed: 2026-02-10 17:04:03

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            {{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/image/media-218453
            |title=Katsura-hime holding the Tiger Scroll, by Totoya Hokkei 
            |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2026-02-10 17:04:03|publisher=The
            University of Cambridge}}

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        <figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Katsura-hime holding the Tiger Scroll, by Totoya Hokkei </figcaption>
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