A frontispiece of a novel, 1901

A frontispiece (kuchi-e) designed for a novel published in 1901 — among the most characteristic products of Hanko's career, as he was one of the most sought-after illustrators for the literary magazines and novels of the Meiji era. Literary frontispieces were typically full-page color prints bound at the beginning of a work, depicting the central female character or a dramatic scene from the narrative. Hanko's 1901 frontispiece would have been executed in the delicate color printing style that made these literary illustrations among the finest printed works of the Meiji period.