Surimono 

This "Surimono" print, by Toyota Hokkei, likely made in the early 19th century, presents us with a scene rich in cultural and symbolic weight. The most striking element is the figure dressed in what appears to be traditional aristocratic clothing accompanied by a horse, with the iconic Mount Fuji looming in the background. Fuji, of course, is not merely a mountain; it is an enduring symbol of Japan itself, often representing aspiration, pilgrimage, and the sublime. The presence of the horse, an animal laden with associations of power, nobility, and travel, echoes across cultures from antiquity to the Renaissance. One can almost feel the echoes of equestrian statues immortalizing emperors, resurfacing in new contexts but bearing the same charge of authority and grace. But consider: how do these symbols play within the collective psyche? Perhaps the mountain represents a primal, unwavering force. The horse, a longing for freedom, an escape from the terrestrial constraints. These images, etched into the cultural memory, find new expression here.