The shell of the cicada / Utsusemi

This print is number 3 in the 54-chapter series *Vestiges of Genji*.
The publisher Tsutaya Kichizō released several series about Genji, in this case based on the sequel *Sono yukari hina no omokage*, and collaborated with Kunisada II on several occasions. In this instance, the artist was assisted by another artist, Hiroshige II, to divide the work. Kichizō created the main figures, while Hiroshige II illustrated the fans, which feature calligraphed poems taken from various chapters of Murasaki Shikibu's *Genji Monogatari*. The subject of this print is Genji's nighttime visit to try to win over a married woman named Utsusemi, which literally means "cicada shell," referring to the cloak she used as a comforter while sleeping, which she abandons when she flees upon Genji's unexpected visit. In the illustration, the modern-day heartthrob, Mitsuuji, enters the bedroom, where his beloved lies beneath the duvet. On the fan, we see an abandoned bed with this poem:

Under this tree

a cicada shed
its shell.

Where is the lady
I long for more than ever?

David Almazán. Exhibition "Prints of Prince Genji", Red Itiner 2023