Willow Bridge (Yanagibashi), from the series "A Series of Willows (Yanagi bantsuzuki)"

From Totoya Hokkei's 1823 surimono series A Series of Willows (Yanagi bantsuzuki), recorded in the Art Institute of Chicago, this sheet depicts Willow Bridge (Yanagibashi), the famous span over the Kanda River near the entrance to the Sumida that gave its name to a long-established quarter of Edo. The series gathered willow-themed names from the city into a unified kyoka-e cycle, and Yanagibashi — known for its restaurants, geisha houses and proximity to the river — was among the most evocative entries. As a leading pupil of the Hokusai school, Hokkei drew on Katsushika Hokusai's interest in Edo landmarks and townscapes to design surimono that combined topographical specificity with the literary refinements of poetry-club commissions. Surimono printing of the period employed deluxe techniques unavailable in commercial ukiyo-e: thick hosho paper, mica grounds, metallic pigments and embossing, ideal for rendering water, foliage and the lacquered details of the bridge. Kyoka verses inscribed alongside the image would have elaborated the willow theme through wordplay, seasonal reference and personal greeting. As an entry in the Yanagi bantsuzuki cycle, the print exemplifies the way Totoya Hokkei and the Hokusai school used surimono series to anchor Edo's geography and vocabulary within the playful structures of nineteenth-century kyoka-e culture.