Yuryaku tenno, Katsuragi-san kari no zu 雄略天皇 葛城山狩図 / Gekko zuihitsu 月耕随筆

The Gekko Zuihitsu series drew on the full range of Japanese historical tradition, extending to the ancient period. This print depicts Emperor Yuryaku (雄略天皇, traditionally r. 456–479), one of the most prominent rulers of the Kofun period, on a hunting expedition at Mount Katsuragi (葛城山) in the Yamato region of present-day Nara and Osaka prefectures. Ancient chronicles record Yuryaku's forceful character and his exploits in the mountains of Yamato, making him a natural subject for historical narrative prints. Gekko likely rendered the emperor in the aristocratic hunting dress of the period—layered court garments with a bow—accompanied by retainers in a wooded mountain setting. The scene would draw on Gekko's training in Kano-school historical figure painting, combining careful attention to period costume and weaponry with the dynamic compositional energy characteristic of his historical subjects, situating this ancient ruler within the Meiji print revival's broader interest in Japan's pre-modern imperial lineage.