Comic and Miscellaneous Triptychs and Diptychs,
Part
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Title: Effective
Medicines for Treating the Epidemic (Hayari yamai kusuri no chikamichi, 流行病妙薬奇験) Description: Date: 9th
month of 1858 Publisher: Tama-ya Sôsuke NOTE: This diptych was produced during the cholera
epidemic of 1858 that killed over 100,000 in Edo alone, including the artist
Hiroshige. The hanging scroll on the
left, behind the man being treated, reads Gozu Tennô (牛頭天王), a deity of
disease and healing. Treatment was
with a preparation of poppy seeds, both orally and as a poultice. The people on the right are hoping to get
some for themselves. I am grateful to
Ward Pieters for this image. |
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I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this alternate
state of the above design. |
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Title: Modern
Actors’ Likenesses in a Miniature Garden (今様見立箱庭人形, Imayô mitate hakoniwa
ningyô) Description: Date: c. 1847 Publisher: Masa
(phonetic reading of マサ) |
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Title: Daruma on the
Shelf Teaches Us the Signs of Future Events (Tana no daruma, Satori no kuchimoto, 棚の達磨 悟の口もと) Description: Date: 8th
month of 1858 Publisher: Enshûy-a Hikobie |
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This is the original drawing for the above diptych |
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Title: Brave
Kuniyoshi with his Paulownia Design (Isamashiki
Kuniyoshi kiri no tsuimoyô, 勇国芳桐対模様) Description: Procession of
Kuniyoshi and his students in the Sanno Festival
with Kuniyoshi’s paulownia crest is on the higher umbrella Date: 1847-1848
(censors Hama and Kinugasa) Publisher: Ningyô-ya Takichi |
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I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this later
edition of the above design with a solid red title cartouche |
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Title: None Description: Pilgrims to Ôyama Come Across Pilgrims to Date: 1834-1835 Publisher: Kaga-ya Kichiemon |
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Title: The Male and
Female in All Things (Bambutsu senshoroku danjo no zu, 万物撰種録男女之圗) Description: A pictorial
record of the males and females of all things (note the tea and sake) Date: c. 1851
(censors Hama and Magome) Publisher: Wo or O (phonetic
pronunciation of ヲ) |
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Title: Picture of Honchô in Description: Street scene
of Date: 6th
month of 1860 Publisher: Izumi-ya Ichibei |
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Title: Picture of Yokohama’s Pleasure Quarter (Yokohama
kuruwa no zu, 横浜廓之圖) Description: Bird’s eye view of Miyozaki, Yokohama’s first licensed pleasure quarter Date: 6th month of
1860 Publisher: Izumi-ya Ichibei I am grateful to Paul Steier for this image. |
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Title: Description: Comical
panoramic under Date: Publisher: Wakasa-ya Uhei |
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Title: Lucky Casting
of Beans Completed at a Fortunate Compass Point (Eho kaho fuku no
Iri-mame,
恵方果報福の入豆) Description: Young
nobleman performing the bean-throwing ritual (mamemaki) to drive out bad luck
on a day before the first day of spring Date: 1847-1850
(censors Mera and Murata) Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei |
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Title: Minamoto no Yoritomo
Scatters Pearls for the Warriors of the Great Dynasty (Minamoto Yoritomo
no daito shoshi ni takara wo maki-atae iu, 源頼朝々大度諸士に賽ヲ蒔あたへゐふ圖) Description: Palace
interior with Yoritomo scattering pearls among scrambling retainers, watched
in amusement by seated nobles Date: 9th
month of 1852 Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei NOTE: This triptych is listed as T288 in Kuniyoshi:
The Warrior-Prints by Basil William Robinson (Cornell University Press,
Ithaca, NY, 1982). I am grateful to
Davor Solter for this image. |
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Title: Shoki-San,
Quick-Acting Medicine to Remove Evil Spirits (Shôki san jaki ni
sokuto, 鍾馗散邪鬼に即刀) Description: Shôki the Demon
Queller (Zhong Kui) holding a sword to ward off sickness and evil spirits,
with inset of a woman with a lantern leading a group of drunken men Date: 8th
month of 1858 Publisher: Enshû-ya Hikobei |
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Title: The October
10th, Visit to Hirokoji in Western Ryogoku (十月十日より 西両国於 広小路御覧入候) Description: People
dancing with a tiger restrained by two men Date: 1851 Publisher: No seal NOTE: An exhibition of big cats in Hirokoji
opened in October, 1851. |
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Title: Iriyamagatato
noboru kitaguchi: Yoshiwara Description: Activities at the North Entrance
of the Yoshiwara Date: c. 1837-1842 Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi |
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Title: Big Sake
Competition (Ozake taikai,
大酒大会) Description: Men drinking sake Date: 8th
month of 1858 Publisher: Ôta-ya Takichi I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image. |
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Title: A Collection
with the Syllable “Mon” (Mitate mon tsukushi, 見立もんつくし) Description: Six kabuki
scenes on an ôban diptych Date: 4th
month of 1852 Publisher: Ise-ya Kanekichi I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image. |
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Title: Procession of
Ryukyuan People (Gomen Eyûkyûjin gyôretsu zuke, 御免琉球人行列附) Description: The
procession of the Ryukyuan Embassy in 1832 Date: 1832 (Tenpo 3 and sexegenary cycle
zodiac year, 天保三 癸辰年) Publisher: Two publishers are
named–Hirano-ya Sukesaburô
(平野屋助三郎) and Ogi-ya Heiemon (大–木屋平右衛門) NOTE: This is a triptych
composed of three horizontally oriented ôban sized panels, each about
10 by 14 inches (25 by 36 centimeters).
Kuniyoshi’s name is written as gakô (artist) Utagawa Kuniyoshi
(画工 歌川国芳). I am grateful to Robert Pryor
for this image. |
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Title (text on
curtain): Maids and Nannies Recruitment Agency (女中 古河屋 御母公人口入所 乳母 すゝめや) Description: Lady
instructing other women in the tea ceremony
Date: 9th
month of 1858 Publisher: Sumiyoshi-ya Masagorô NOTE: The book on the
floor, next to the instructor, is an old-fashioned Japanese account book
called a daifukucho (大福帳). I am grateful to Robert Pryor
for this image. |
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Title: A Model of
Popular Trends (Tôsei ryûkô
mitate, 當世流行見立) Description: A street fair
with dancing and acrobatics Date: c. 1841-1842 Publisher: Sôshû-ya
Yohei NOTE: Each sheet is signed
應需 一勇斎國芳 画 (by special request Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga). I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this
image. |
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Title:
Congratulations on Good Fortune in the Year of the Horse (Uma no toshi uke no oniwai, 午の年うけの御いわい) Description: Date: 4th month
of 1858 Publisher: Horikoshi (堀越) Text: Earth sign people entering
lucky period on the 8th day of the 5th month (土性ノ人五月八日有卦入) and Water
sign people entering lucky period on the 8th day of the 5th
month (水性ノ人五月八日有卦入) NOTE: The plain cartouches are numerology for water and earth
sign people. I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image. |
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Title: Samurai, Farmers, Artisans, and Merchants: The
Seven Lucky Gods' Celebration of a Bountiful Harvest (Hi ko-shoku-shô
shichifukujin hônen yû, 士濃職商 七福神豊年遊) Description: Actors with gods of good fortune
coming off a hanging scroll Date: 1843-1846 (censor Muramatsu Genroku) Publisher: Maru-ya Seijirô I am grateful to Julius Tüting and Robert Pryor
for locating this image. |
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