No. 23, from

A numbered print from one of Chikanobu's serial publications — the "No. 23" designation indicating its position within a larger numbered series. Chikanobu produced numerous serialized works over his long career, and the numbered format gave collectors a clear collecting goal: assembling the complete series. These serial publications covered topics ranging from court beauties across Japanese history to famous military engagements to scenes of Tokyo life, and a single numbered print represents one piece of a much larger narrative or encyclopedic enterprise.