Suzuki Harunobu

Inscribed number verso, bottom right:SB965[text and poems] Poem: Sugi tateru (translates to) To find the spot kado wa nakeredo (translates to)where branches of cedar are placed sato kagura/kore ya miyai no/hajime naruran(translates to)follow the sounds of kagura musicBranches of cedar were placed outside the gate to a shrine as love tokens. The tree in the print is not a cedar and does not relate to the poem. The scene depicts a family leaving a shrine on the occasion of their 7-year old daughter's becoming an obitake (obi-wearer), a symbol of maturation. "Miyai" in the poem means "shrine precincts" but also alludes to the initial steps parents take toward arranging a marriage for their child.