Kyumonryu Shishin

Two men kneel on a green ground before an arched pool and pale rocky landscape: at left a bare-chested, muscular figure with a shaved-topped topknot and a fierce scowl sits with red trousers pooled around him, his back, shoulder, and forearm covered in a large-scale dragon and scale tattoo; at right a heavier man in a brown floral kimono with a violet sash leans in close, holding a fine brush to the first man's skin as if applying or touching up the tattoo. Between them sits a black lacquer tray with a teapot, cup, and brushes; a blue wave-patterned curtain hangs at the right edge, and cartouches of kanji text frame the scene at upper left and right. The palette is dominated by indigo blue, brick red, sumi black, and moss green against a pale cream background. Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, "Kyumonryu Shishin," 1868, Japanese woodblock print.