Hokusai: E-goyomi |
Hokusai, one of the greatest ukiyo-e masters, made this e-goyomi in January 1792.
The printing of calendars was a government monopoly in Japan. By that forbidden to create calendars, the ukiyo-e artists developed the subgenre of e-goyomi. Literally it means "calendar print" - but, not to violate the monopoly, they had to conceal the calendar in the picture in some clever way.