Yusui Toku “Unai” Series – ‘Karuta’ 骨牌 (Playing Cards) – 1978 Shōwa Era Limited Edition | Kaga Yuzen Style Washi Print

About the Artwork

This refined piece, titled 「骨牌」(Karuta – “Playing Cards”), is part of the Unai (うない) limited edition series by Yusui Toku (湯水得), created in 1978 during Japan’s Shōwa period.
It presents a fascinating still-life composition of traditional Japanese karuta cards, scattered elegantly across a warm ochre background, each depicting scenes of cheerful children dressed in ornate patterned robes.

Every card features subtle Kaga Yuzen–inspired designs, showcasing exquisite textile motifs and intricate color layering that echo the beauty of hand-painted kimono patterns from Kanazawa.
This delicate arrangement transforms an ordinary game into a poetic meditation on chance, artistry, and memory — a quiet homage to the nostalgia of childhood play in postwar Japan.

Poetic Inscription (Verso)

骨牌 (Karuta)
姫には キンタロを 引かせたまえり
われは なんとなく いとしきものに
極上の顔を さしにくらみぬ

(The princess draws Kintarō’s card —
and I, feeling an unspoken fondness,
see in that moment
the highest face of happiness.)

This lyrical waka poem blends humor and tenderness, turning a simple card draw into an allegory of innocence and fate, reflecting the gentle spirit of the Unai series.

Artistic Symbolism

The karuta card game has long been associated with New Year celebrations, learning, and family gatherings in Japanese tradition. Here, Yusui Toku reinterprets this cultural pastime through a modern Shōwa-era aesthetic, where playful imagery meets contemplative design.

Through his fusion of Kaga Yuzen color sensibility, textile-inspired geometry, and Nihonga minimalism, Yusui Toku transforms everyday motifs into symbols of continuity — the persistence of beauty across time.
The work resonates with the broader vision of Unai: the portrayal of childhood purity and cultural memory as the heart of Japanese modern art.

Artwork Details

Artist: Yusui Toku (湯水得)
Title: 骨牌 (Karuta / Playing Cards)
Series: Unai (うない)
Year: 1978 (Shōwa 53)
Medium: Woodblock / mixed media print on handmade washi paper
Style: Kaga Yuzen–inspired textile motifs with geometric and narrative elements
Edition: Limited to 50 prints
Publisher: Fuji Art Publishing (Japan)

Collector Highlights

• Features Yusui Toku’s masterful integration of Kaga Yuzen design and Nihonga influence

• Represents a rare depiction of karuta, a beloved Japanese cultural pastime symbolizing luck and intellect

• Embodies postwar Shōwa modernism and the revival of traditional arts through poetic reinterpretation

• Ideal for collectors of Japanese fine prints, Unai series editions, and Shōwa-era cultural art