Utagawa Kunisada II. Falling Flowers (Hanachirusato), from the series 'Genji Cards' (Genji Karuta) / Fan print, 1867.

Artist: Utagawa Kunisada II (歌川国貞) (1823–1880), also known as Kunimasa III (国政三代) or Toyokuni IV (四代歌川豊国)
Signed: 国貞画 (Kunisada ga) with red toshidama
Publisher: Enshūya Matabei (遠州屋又兵衛); Marks reference 22-009 | 057c; seal To, Hori Ni Enmata (ト堀貳遠又) (active 1845–1860s)
Block Carver: Matsushima Fusajirō (松島房次郎), seal Matsushima Hori Fusa (松嶋彫房) (Gordon Friese, 2009, № 137)
Censor Seal: Combined date and kiwame (極) seal; 1867 (Keiō 3, 慶応三年)
Media: Aiban yoko-e uchiwa-e (団扇絵), colour woodblock print, 233 × 294 mm

Series: Genji cards (げんじかるた, Genji Karuta ) – in a blue cartouche. Title: Falling Flowers (花ちる里, Hanachirusato) — in a yellow-green cartouche.

The composition alludes to Chapter 11, Hanachirusato (花散里, “Falling Flowers”), from The Tale of Genji (源氏物語, Genji monogatari) and its Edo-period adaptation A Rustic Genji by a Fraudulent Murasaki (偐紫田舎源氏, Nise Murasaki inaka Genji). The series title Genji Karuta (げんじかるた, “Genji Cards”) refers to a traditional matching-card game based on The Tale of Genji. Such cards were used for literary and poetic matching games in which players paired images, texts, or symbolic motifs associated with Genji chapters. These games formed part of Edo-period popular culture and encouraged familiarity with the Genji narrative and its visual symbols. The woman, identified with Hanachirusato, wears an indigo-black (aiguro) haori decorated with white wisteria crests and hollyhock (aoi) leaves and blossoms. She pours sake from a blue double-gourd bottle (hyōtan) into a red lacquer cup held by Mitsuuji (光氏), the male protagonist of Inaka Genji. Mitsuuji is dressed in Edo-period attire, including a red under-kimono patterned with hexagons enclosing blossoms, a blue outer garment with large tsuba motifs, and an obi decorated with waves and cart wheels. The background consists of a pink patterned ground incorporating Genji-mon (源氏紋), the stylized crests associated with Genji chapters and historically linked to the incense-matching game Genji-kō (源氏香). At lower right, a black lacquered hexagonal container holds an assortment of food.