Posted by Dan (24.59.72.128) on March 27, 2004 at 04:26:09:
In Reply to: Is this a print? posted by Brian Kelley on March 26, 2004 at 05:12:52:
Hmm... that's a heck of a hard one. It's possible that the first character might be aoi/KI (Nelson 3990) and the second character ko/SHI ("child"). So possibly "Kiko".
The note on the back and the subject of the piece is clearer. The note reads "nikuhitsu-ga" (painting) "Noh: Ama" meaning a fisherwoman from a noh play.
This somewhat suits the image (it's definitely noh) but I wonder about "fisherwoman". It seems to me that the figure must be associated with the court of the Naga King, who lives in the sea, which would explain the crown. But given the structure of noh, it is likely that the figure originally appeared as a fisherwoman, then revealed her true form in the climax of the play.
I'd guess this is a 20th century piece.