A Floating World Version of Saigyo at the Village of Eguchi (Ukiyo Saigyo Eguchi no sato) c. 1715

This woodblock print, "A Floating World Version of Saigyo at the Village of Eguchi," created by Okumura Masanobu in c. 1715, depicts a fantastical scene of a figure riding a creature through the air. The figure, believed to be Saigyo, a famous poet-monk, is seated on a fantastical animal floating above clouds and water. This work is part of the "ukiyo-e" (pictures of the floating world) genre, which often explored themes of beauty, pleasure, and fleeting moments in everyday life. Masanobu's print highlights the dynamic composition and detailed imagery characteristic of early ukiyo-e, capturing a sense of movement and the fleeting nature of the world.