Katsushika Hokusai - Poem by Jitō Tenno (Empress Jitō), from the series One Hundred Poems Explained by the - ca. 1839 - STICKER Vinyl Kiss-Cut Decal

This is a ukiyo-e woodblock print by Katsushika Hokusai that illustrates a poem by Empress Jitō, drawn from his 1839 series One Hundred Poems Explained by the Wise Men.

Visual Elements & Composition

Rounded hills rise across the upper field in teal green and pale aqua, and a diagonal stream cuts through the middle distance, giving the scene its movement. Two men bend over the water, washing cloth, while porters carry a load of white cloth and travelers pass with bundles balanced on poles. A traveler in a hat and pack walks the edge of the scene. Rust red and indigo accent the figures against a cream ground, and a rectangular cartouche holds the characters 百人一首, the title of the Hyakunin Isshu anthology.

Meaning & Symbolism

Empress Jitō's poem, written in the late seventh century, describes white cloth spread to dry on Mount Kagu as summer arrives. Hokusai turns that image into a working landscape, so the washing, carrying and drying of cloth becomes the poem's subject. The series belongs to the Hyakunin Isshu tradition, in which a hundred classical poems were paired with visual interpretations that carried Japan's literary heritage into the prints of the Edo period.

Why This Works as a Sticker

A kiss-cut sticker is cut to the outline of its own artwork, so the hills, figures and stream read as one shape once peeled from the backing. Held at arm's length, the cartouche and the washing figures stay legible, and the fine linework of the woodblock comes forward at close range. Smooth flat surfaces such as laptops, journals and notebooks suit a design that rewards a second look, and a collector can place it where they will see it daily.