Takahashi Shotei (Hiroaki, 1871-1945) | Waterfall | Taisho period, early 20th century

Executed on an unusually large narrow format, this untitled print displays the cascade of a monumental waterfall. The spray of the crashing torrents is realized with hand-applied splashed gofun, while a sense of watery mist veiling the foreground is rendered through the subtle gradation of pigment into barely unprinted areas of mulberry paper. A small pitstop has been built on a cliff edge where visitors can sit with refreshments to admire their natural surroundings. This unrecorded design by Shotei bears the number forty-nine within a fan-shaped cartouche to the lower left, perhaps designating a limited-edition number.