Celebrated Products of Mountains and Seas,

Part I

(Sankai medetai zue, 山海目出度圖會)

1852

 

In this series of prints, beautiful women (bijin) of different classes and occupations express desires or feelings.  An inset in the left upper corner, by one of Kuniyoshi’s pupils, shows the production of one of Japan’s well-known regional products.  This series is listed as number 117 in Kuniyoshi by Basil William Robinson (Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1961).  The prints in this series are each about 14 by 10 inches (36 by 25 centimeters), a size known as ôban.  I am grateful to Ward Pieters and Elaine Boatin for assisting with this series.

 

Kuniyoshi - Celebrated Products of Mountains & Seas (Sankai medetai zue), No

 

Number: 1

Title: Wakasaya Yoichi (若狭)

Product:

Location: Wakasa in the northwestern part of Fukui

Desire or feeling:

Publisher: Mikawa-ya Kihei

 

Kuniyoshi - Celebrated Products of Mountains & Seas (Sankai medetai zue), No

 

Number: 2

Product: Whales at Hirado (Hirado no kujira)

Location: Hirado

Desire or feeling: Can’t wait to see you (Hayaku mitai)

Publisher: Izumi-ya Ichibei

Kuniyoshi - Celebrated Products of Mountains & Seas (Sankai medetai zue), No

 

Number: 3

Product: Night fishing in Tamba

Location: Tamba

Desire or feeling:

Publisher: Jôshûya Kinzô

Kuniyoshi - Celebrated Products of Mountains & Seas (Sankai medetai zue), No

 

Number: 4

Product: Net-hunted duck (kasumiami kamo)

Location: Jôshû Province

Desire or feeling: wishing to dream a happy dream (Yoi yume demo mitai)

Publisher: Sano-ya Kihei

 

 

 

Kuniyoshi - Celebrated Products of Mountains & Seas (Sankai medetai zue), No

 

Number: 5

Title: Shrimp from Ise (Ise ebi, 伊勢海老)

Product: Shrimp

Location: Ise Province

Desire or feeling: It is too heavy

Publisher: Tsuta-ya Kichizô

Kuniyoshi - Celebrated Products of Mountains & Seas (Sankai medetai zue), No

 

This is an alternate version of the above print.  It is made from the same woodblocks, but the background of the main image and the foreground of the inset are black, or almost black.

Kuniyoshi - Celebrated Products of Mountains & Seas (Sankai medetai zue), No

 

Number: 6

Product: Octopus (nagahama tako, 長浜章魚)

Location: Iyo Province (伊予)

Desire or feeling:

Publisher: Jôshûya Kinzô

 

Number: 7

Product: Giant octopus from Nameri River in Etchû Location (Etchû Namerikawa no ôtako)

Location: Etchû Province

Desire or feeling: It hurts (Oo itai, おお,いたい)

Publisher: Tsuta-ya Kichizô

 

 

Kuniyoshi - Celebrated Products of Mountains & Seas (Sankai medetai zue), No

 

Number: 8

Product:  Geese

Location: Takanawa in Settsu Province

Desire or feeling:

Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei

Kuniyoshi - Celebrated Products of Mountains & Seas (Sankai medetai zue), No

 

Number: 9

Product: Linen cloth (nuno, )

Location: Echigo Province (越後) 

Desire or feeling: Wish to remove make-up (Mimama ni naritai)

Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei

Kuniyoshi - Celebrated Products of Mountains & Seas (Sankai medetai zue), No

 

Number: 10

Product: Dried bonito

Location: Tosa Province

Desire or feeling:

Publisher: Mikawa-ya Kihei

 

I am grateful to Lucienne Parkan for information about this print.

Kuniyoshi - Celebrated Products of Mountains & Seas (Sankai medetai zue), No

 

Number: 11

Product: Salamanders (Zushû sanshô-uo)

Location: Izu Province

Desire or feeling: Sleepy (Nemuttai, 眠ったい)

Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei

Kuniyoshi - Celebrated Products of Mountains & Seas (Sankai medetai zue), No

 

Number: 12

Title: Stone from Toyoshima (Sanuki Teshima seki, 讃岐豊島右)

Product: Quarried stone

Location: Toyoshima

Desire or feeling: Wanting to see parents

Publisher: Tsuta-ya Kichizô

Kuniyoshi - Celebrated Products of Mountains & Seas (Sankai medetai zue), No

 

This is another state of the above print with different coloration including a solid red title cartouche.

Kuniyoshi%20-%20Celebrated%20Products%20of%20Mountains%20&%20Seas%20(Sankai%20medetai%20zue),%20No

 

Number: 13

Title: Jellyfish from Bizen (Bizen suibo, 備前水母)

Product: Jellyfish

Location: Bizen Province

Desire or feeling:

Publisher: Jôshûya Kinzô

Kuniyoshi - Celebrated Products of Mountains & Seas (Sankai medetai zue), No

 

Number: 14

Product: Sea cucumbers (nama namako)

Location: Mikawa Province

Desire or feeling: Wanting to suckle (chichi ga nomitai)

Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei

 

Kuniyoshi%20-%20Celebrated%20Products%20of%20Mountains%20&%20Seas%20(Sankai%20medetai%20zue),%20No.%2015,%20Sea%20urchins%20from%20Echizen%20Province,%20Ticklish

 

Number: 15

Product: Sea urchins

Location: Echizen Province (越前雲丹)

Desire or feeling: Tickling (くすぐったい)

Publisher: Jôshûya Kinzô

 

Kuniyoshi - Celebrated Products of Mountains & Seas (Sankai medetai zue), No

 

Number: 16

Product: Octopus (iidako, 飯蛸)

Location: Izumi Province (泉州)

Desire or feeling:

Publisher: Sano-ya Kihei

Kuniyoshi - Celebrated Products of Mountains & Seas (Sankai medetai zue), No

 

Number: 17

Title: Limestone from Ômi (Ômi ishibai, 近江右灰)

Product: Limestone (sekkai) 

Location: Ômi Province

Desire or feeling: Wish to ask a favor (Otanomi moshitai)

Publisher: Tsuta-ya Kichizô

Kuniyoshi - Celebrated Products of Mountains & Seas (Sankai medetai zue), No

 

Number: 18

Title: Kishu kumano seki masa (紀州熊野右苴)

Product: Kumano River salted salmon wrapped in bamboo leaves (Kumano arakumi, 熊野 石苴)

Location: Kishu Province (紀州)

Desire or feeling: Desire to try on new kimono  (hayaku kite mitai)

Publisher: Jôshûya Kinzô

Kuniyoshi - Celebrated Products of Mountains & Seas (Sankai medetai zue), No

 

This is a simplified and less labor intensive printing of the above design.  The delicate shading (bokashi) in the background and on the mountain in the insert has been eliminated.  Bokashi was achieved by hand-applying a gradation of ink to the wooden printing block rather than inking the block uniformly.  This hand-application had to be repeated for each sheet of paper that was printed. 

Kuniyoshi - Celebrated Products of Mountains & Seas (Sankai medetai zue), No

 

Number: 19

Title: Octopus from Takasago in Banshu (Banshu Takasuna tako, 播州高砂蛸)

Product: Octopus 

Location: Takasago in Banshu Province

Desire or feeling: Desire to  decide as soon as possible

Publisher: Sano-ya Kihei

Kuniyoshi - Celebrated Products of Mountains & Seas (Sankai medetai zue), No

 

Number: 20

Title: Eight-eyed eel from Lake Suwa, Shinano Province (Shinshû Suwa yatsume unagi, 信州諏訪八目鰻)

Product: Lamprey eels (yatsume unagi)

Location: Suwa

Desire or feeling: How cold it is!

Publisher: Mikawa-ya Kihei

 

Kuniyoshi - Celebrated Products of Mountains & Seas (Sankai medetai zue), No

 

Number: 22

Product: Whitebait fish (白魚)

Location: Nishimiya in Shinano Province (志州西宮)

Desire or feeling: Desire to see the next volume (tsuzuki ga mitai, 続きが見たい)

Publisher: Tsuta-ya Kichizô

Kuniyoshi - Celebrated Products of Mountains & Seas (Sankai medetai zue), No

 

Number: 23

Title: Hidan Jinzugawa masu (飛弾 神通 川鱒)

Product: Jintsu River trout (Jintsu-gawa  masu, 神通 )

Location: Hida Province  (飛騨) 

Desire or feeling: Wish to wear this (Kore ga kitai)

Publisher: Sano-ya Kihei

Kuniyoshi - Celebrated Products of Mountains & Seas (Sankai medetai zue), No

 

Number: 24

Title: Butterbur Greens from Akita (Dewa Akita fuki, 羽州秋田蕗)

Product: Butterbur greens (yamabuki)

Location: Akita

Desire or feeling: Desire to eat something delicious (oishimono ga tabetai)

Publisher: Sano-ya Kihei

CLICK HERE TO GO TO PART II

 

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