Miscellaneous Fan Prints of Women
Part I
|
An
uchiwa is
a non-folding fan consisting of paper attached to a bamboo frame. These prints, which were intended to be
glued onto uchiwa,
are called uchiwa-e.
Six series of uchiwa-e of women are listed as numbers 41,
50, 99, 212, 213, and 219 in Kuniyoshi
by Basil William Robinson (Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1961). |
|
Series: A Collection
of Cherries (Sakurazoroi,
桜揃) Robinson: Not listed Title: Komachi
Cherry (Komachizakura, 小町桜) Description: Date: 1st
month of 1855 Publisher: Enshu-ya Matabei NOTE: The print mitate of play Tsumoru koi yuki no seki no to (The Barrier Gate, 積恋雪関扉). I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this
image. |
|
Series: A Collection
of Cherries (Sakurazoroi,
桜揃) Robinson: Not listed Title: Morning
Cherry Description: Beauty with
cherry blossoms Date: 1st
month of 1855 Publisher: Enshu-ya Matabei |
|
Series: Snow, Moon,
and Flowers (Setsugekkwa no uchi, 雪月花の内) Robinson: 213 Title: Moon (月) Description: Woman on a viewing platform at
the Tanabata Festival Date: 1847-1850
(censors Mera and Murata) Publisher: Masuda-ya Ginjirô Image courtesy of Richard Illing |
|
Series: Beauties,
Moon, Flower and Snow (Bijin gekkasetsu) Robinson: Not listed Title: Snow Description: Date: 1853 Publisher: Hanmoto ta (板元 太) |
|
Series: Five Modern
Women (Imayô gonin no onna, 今様五人女) Robinson: not listed Title: None Description: A courtesan Date: 1850-1852 Publisher: Hanmoto ta (板元 太) |
|
Robinson: not listed Title: None Description: A beauty with an umbrella Date: 1850-1852 Publisher: Hanmoto ta (板元 太) |
|
Series: Eight Views
of the Eastern Capital (Tôto hakkei, 東都八景) Robinson: Not listed Title: Evening Glow
at Description: Date: 1842-1846
(censor Watanabe Shôemon) Publisher: Enshû-ya Matabei |
|
Series: Eight Views
of the Eastern Capital (Tôto hakkei, 東都八景) Robinson: Not listed Title: Sundown (Asakusa no seiran) Description: Probably a
seller from a shop at the Kinryuzan, which is
partly seen Date: 1842-1846
(censor Watanabe Shôemon) Publisher: No seal |
|
Series: Eight Views
of Edo (Edo no hakkei no uchi,
江戸八景内) Robinson: Not listed Title: Returning
Sails at Tsukuda (Tsukuda no kihan, 佃ノ帰帆) Description: Woman in a
boat holding an open umbrella Date: 1849-1851
(censors Fuku and Muramatsu) Publisher: Sano-ya Kihei I am grateful to Robert
Pryor for this image. |
|
Series: The Seven
Komachi Robinson: not listed Title: Amagoi Komachi (雨乞小町), literally
rain-prayer Komachi Comment: Komachi ends
a drought by offering the following poem as a prayer for rain, “It is only
reasonable since this is the Land of the Rising Sun for the sun to
shine. Nevertheless it is also called
ama-ga-shita.”
(both 天 [heaven] and 雨 [rain] reads ame/ama). Usually depicted is the petitioning Komachi by
the shore of a pond in heavy rain–often with a servant holding an umbrella. Date: 1847-1848 Publisher: Enshû-ya Matabei Image courtesy of Richard Illing |
|
Series: The Seven
Komachi Robinson: not listed Title: Soushi-arai Komachi (草紙洗小町), literally
Komachi washing a book Comment: The night before
a poetry contest at the Date: 1847-1848 Publisher: Enshû-ya Matabei Image courtesy of Richard Illing |
|
Series: The Seven
Komachi Robinson: Not listed Title: Oumu Komachi (鴎鵡小町), literally
parrot Komachi Comment: The emperor sends
a poem of pity to the aged Komachi: “Although above the clouds things do not
change from how they were in the past, do you look back fondly on your time
spent within the jeweled curtains”. By
changing only one word of the emperor’s poem, Komachi demonstrates that age
has not dulled her wit, “Although above the clouds things do not change from
how they were in the past, I do indeed look back fondly on my time spent
within the jeweled curtains.”
Illustrations frequently include a parrot–often painted on a
screen–because to repeat another’s words mechanically is called “parrot’s
repetition”. Date: 1847-1848 Publisher: Enshû-ya Matabei |
|
Title: Agriculture,
in the Rice Paddies (Nô, ta-ue, 農 田うへ) Description: Women
transplanting rice seedlings Date: Publisher: Suruga-ya Sukujirô |
|
Title: None Description: Mother and
child Date: 1843-1847 Publisher: Ise-ya Sôemon |
|
Title: Fashionable Living Dolls (Furyu ningyo, 風流人形） Description: A group of
carved “dolls” displayed at Date: 4th
month of 1856 Publisher: Ise-ya Sôemon |
|
Series: Five
Festivals (Go sekku
no uchi, 五節供の内) Robinson: Not listed Title: First month (Hajime
tsuki, 甫月) Date: 1842-1846
(censor Fukatsu Ihei) Publisher: Hon-ya Genpachi |
|
Series: Five
Festivals (Go sekku
no uchi, 五節供の内) Robinson: Not listed Title: Early Autumn
(Môshû, 孟秋) Date: 1842-1846
(censor Fukatsu Ihei) Publisher: Hon-ya Genpachi |
|
Series: Five
Festivals (Go sekku
no uchi, 五節供の内) Robinson: Not listed Title: 季白 Date: 1842-1846
(censor Fukatsu Ihei) Publisher: Hon-ya Genpachi |
|
Series: Three
Hardships of Modern Women (當世三婦苦 対 Tôsei sanpukutsui) Robinson: Not listed Description: After the
bath Date: 1833 Publisher: Iba-ya Senzaburô |
|
Series: Three
Hardships of Modern Women (當世三婦苦 対 Tôsei sanpukutsui) Robinson: Not listed Description: A courtesan Date: 1833 Publisher: Iba-ya Senzaburô |
|
Series: None Title: None Description: Courtesan
leaning on a balustrade Date: c. 1842 Publisher: |
|
Title: None Description: Two Ise Ondo
dancers in identical costumes on a terrace with folding fans Date: 4th
month of 1854 Publisher: Iba-ya Senzaburô I am grateful to Robert Pryor for information about this print. |
|
Series: Summer Scenes:
The Hours of Day and Night (夏けしき昼夜どけい, Natsu kechiki chûya dokei) Robinson: Not listed Title: About 4 pm (ひる七ツ時, Hiru nanatsudoki) Description: One woman
sitting on a bench and another watering plants in a garden Date: 1843-1846
(censor Muramatsu Genroku) Publisher: Enshû-ya Matabei |
|
Series: Summer
Scenes: The Hours of Day and Night (夏けしき昼夜どけい, Natsu kechiki chûya dokei) Robinson: Not listed Title: About Description: Woman on a
balcony looking at a full moon Date: 1843-1846 Publisher: Enshû-ya Matabei |
|
Title: Description: Woman washing
her hands while holding a letter in her mouth Date: 1849 (censors
Kinugasa and Yoshimura) Publisher:
Ise-ya Ichiemon |
|
“Robinson” refers to listing of the series in Kuniyoshi by Basil William Robinson (Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1961).
|
