Ro Rai (Lao Laizi)

Toyohara Chikanobu's 1890 woodblock print "Ro Rai (Lao Laizi)" pairs a small inset scene above with the main composition below: in the inset, an elderly bearded man in green and a companion in brown kneel on a tiled veranda beside a lattice railing, while two children play with a drum at right. In the main panel, a young woman in an elaborate pink kimono patterned with fans, florals, and roundels, her hair dressed with ornate pins, stands beside a lit candle on a tall stand, turning toward a seated woman in a blue-and-yellow robe who plays a shamisen; a pine branch and blue-toned sky are visible through the railing behind them. The palette is dominated by soft pink, indigo, green, and gold, with red cartouche text and a vertical title inscription framing the inset scene at top right.