Artist: Nabeta Gyokuei [鍋田玉英] (Japanese, 1847 – after 1902)
Signed: Yōdō Gyokuei (楊堂玉英)
Publisher: Enshūya Ichibei [遠州屋市兵衛] (Japanese, before 1875 – c. 1887), seal: Tokio Horiechō; En’ichisei (東京 堀江町; ゑん市制) [not in Marks]
Date: no seal, likely the end of the 19th century.
Media: Woodblock colour print, chūban uchiwa-e (fan print), double-sided, 235 x 249 mm
This double-sided uchiwa-e was produced as a promotional fan for Karnos Onsen, a hot spring resort located in Kusatsu, one of Japan’s most renowned spa towns. The front depicts a spacious compound with tiled roofs, wood façades, a courtyard with blooming cherry trees, and modern details such as gas lamps and rickshaws, reflecting Meiji-era modernization. The establishment’s name appears on both a flagpole and the noren curtain at the entrance, reading:
- カルノス (Karnos)
- 温泉 (Onsen)
- 草津 (Kusatsu)
The reverse features bold calligraphy of 温泉 (Onsen), flanked by three red seals: one reading 草津 (Kusatsu), and two on the left reading 東森 (Tōmori) and 藤木 (Fujiki or Fujinoki), likely indicating the calligrapher or owner. The fan combines visual elegance with commercial intent, likely serving as an advertisement or souvenir for visitors. Both sides are dusted with mica.
