203 - Totoya Hokkei (1780–1850), “The Snake and the Melons,” likely a later print, Japan, Meiji period, circa 1890–1900

Totoya Hokkei (1780–1850), “The Snake and the Melons,” likely a later print, Japan, Meiji period, circa 1890–1900 Based on the *Chōmonjū* (著聞集), from the *Washō kurabe* (和書くらへ—“Comparison of Japanese Writings/Books”) series. Original composition from the Edo period, circa 1821–1822; surimono, nishiki-e, polychrome woodblock print with dry embossing (karazuri), shikishiban format. Print depicting a large snake coiled around two melons, placed next to a small wooden box. The work belongs to the Washō kurabe series, dedicated to classical works of Japanese literature, and here illustrates the Kokon Chōmonjū (古今著聞集 - “Collection of Ancient and Modern Anecdotes”), a compilation of anecdotes compiled by Tachibana no Narisue in 1254. The subject refers to an anecdote in which melons presented to Fujiwara no Michinaga are found to contain a snake. The original composition is now definitively attributed to Totoya Hokkei (魚屋北渓, 1780–1850), an artist of the Hokusai school, and is dated to around 1821–1822. Here, the print has been falsely attributed to Hokusai and bears a forged signature.