Peddler in the Snow

This print depicts a traveling vendor carrying goods through a snow-covered urban or rural setting, a subject that allowed Hasui to combine his mastery of snow rendering with the human interest of daily Meiji-Taisho street life. The figure — identifiable as a peddler by the characteristic carrying pole or pack frame — is set against layered white ground built up from multiple applications of lead white or gofun on washi. Hasui's snow prints are noted for their three-dimensional surface quality, achieved through embossing (karazuri) or deliberate underprinting. This is one of two catalogued impressions of the design; comparison between the two states reveals production variables in the figure block and the treatment of falling snow, if present. Snow peddler subjects appear in the Tokaido and regional survey series as well as standalone compositions.