Wood engraving on virgin washi paper mm 245 x 360 multicolor original, nishiki-e 錦絵format Oban vertical. Utagawa Yoshiiku 歌川芳幾 (1833-1904), signed Keisai Yoshiiku hitsu 蕙齋芳幾筆. Publisher's signature, Kagaya Kichiemon 加賀屋吉右衛門 a.k.a. Kichibei 吉兵衛 (Seiseido 青盛堂) Censor's seal within round Snake 5 aratame 巳五改, year 1869. Two women with elegant gestures converse, seeming to be revealing secrets to each other (shown in the inscriptions in the panel above left, in the red frame, the inscription reads, “spring banquet” part of the series thirty-six spring meetings) wear colorful dresses with refined floral decorations, in front of a store door, in the lower foreground two puppies playing. The engraving belongs to the ukiyo-e 浮世絵image style of the floating world. We quote the Japanese folk poet Asai Ryoi to explain his thought of 'Ukiyo-e: "Living moment by moment, turning entirely to the moon, the snow, the cherry blossoms and the red leaves of maple trees, singing songs, drinking sake, consoling oneself by forgetting reality, not worrying about the misery in front of us, not being discouraged, being like an empty gourd floating on the current of water: this, I call ukiyo“ Asai Ryoi ”Tales of the Floating World" (Ukiyo monogatari) 1662. Fine specimen.