Posted by Irwin (97.120.232.206) on July 11, 2011 at 23:55:34:
In Reply to: Re: ID of Artist Signature and Seal posted by Guy Pepermans on July 11, 2011 at 14:49:11:
Hello Guy,
I am continuing to search for a match of the seal on this print with prints attributed to Eitaku and his students. No luck so far. A listing for Eitaku can be found on yoshitoshi.net, as one of Yoshitoshi's students. [I'd be surprised if this print was a re-print but who knows? (It would be difficult for Eitaku to have created this print after he was dead!) Perhaps Eitaku designed it while alive and then it was printed 11 years later?)
From what I've read, this print depicts a visit by Emperor Ingyou to his lover Princess Sotoshi (aka Sotori) the Empress' sister. Princess Sotoshi was kept far away from the Empress and Ingyou made secret visits to her. (Of course the Empress knew about the visits.) The two residences for Sotoshi set up by the Emperor were supposedly "Chinu in Kawachi on the Inland Sea" and "Fujiwara near Asuka."
I see a dictionary entry for 御幸 (miyuki) as translating to "imperial visit" which would fit with the theme of the print rather than it being the name of a place. However, I'm not sure what the characters 許ニ might translate as.
Another fun little mystery!
Best regards,
Irwin