Giga (戯画)

Giga (or giga-e) can be translated as comic prints or caricatures. In this section, are prints having many human or anthropomorphic figures, signally or in pairs, with little or no interaction. They are often signed “一勇斎 国芳 戯画”, which may be translated as “playfully drawn by Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi”. The series Illustrated Examples of Mad Sketches and Characters from the Wastepaper Basket would fall into this category. These prints are each about 14 by 10 inches (36 by 25 centimeters), a size known as ôban.

	Title: All Sorts on New Amazing Pictures (新案 にたもの あきれるづくし, Shinan nitamo no akireru zukushi) Date: c. 1841 Publisher:
	Title: All Kinds of Frogs (Kaeru zukushi, クゑるづくし) Description: Frogs as famous heroes of the kabuki stage Date: c. 1842 Publisher: Koshimura-ya Heisuke
	Title: Date: 1842 Publisher’s seals: Fujioka-ya Hikotarô (rectangle at bottom left) and Ezaki-ya Tatsuzô (circle under double mountain under signature)
	Title: Utsushi-e, Japanese Phantasmagoria in Full Color by Toraku (Goku-zaishiki utsushi-e, Toraku) Date: c. 1827-1830 Publisher: NOTE: An utsushi (写し絵) is a traditional Japanese magic lantern show
	Title: One Hundred People Outside Hokkaido (道外百人猩々) Date: c. 1839 Publisher: No seal
	Title: Comical Hand Games, a Collection of Folk Dances (Teasobi dôke yosakoi zukushi, 手遊道化 よさこいづくし) Date: 8^th month of 1858 Publisher: Enshû-ya Hikobei
	Title: Comical Hand Games, a Collection of Folk Dances (Teasobi dôke yosakoi zukushi, 手遊道化 よさこいづくし) Date: 8^th month of 1858 Publisher: Enshû-ya Hikobei Text: 狸がけぬき買に来た, お医者げいしやの供をする, 目くらが眼がねを買て行, かつぱがかつぱを買てゐる, 小町が田町でかごにのり, 天狗が年貢を取に行, 按摩がさんまをさげて行, 不動がぶどうを持てゐる, 喜撰が茶筌をあいします, 親仁がわらじを買て来, 雀が皷にとまつて居, はんにやがあんぎやにあるきます I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image.
	Title: The 12 Zodiac Animals as Craftsmen (Jûnishi mitate shokunin zukushi, 十二支見立職人づくし) Date: c. 1840 Publisher: NOTE: The images show Rat (子) as wire mesh maker (金網師), Cow (牛) as cartwright (車匠), Tiger (寅) as bamboo worker (竹細工), Hare (卯) as shipwright (船大工), Dragon (辰) as indigo maker (玉師), Snake (巳) as maigo-fuda (metal ID tags attached to children with their zodiac birth year, name, and address) engraver (迷子札彫師), Horse (午) as comb maker (鼈甲匠), Sheep or Goat) (未) as hairdresser (髪結), Monkey(申) as tailor (股引仕立), Rooster (酉) as karakuri (automata) maker (時計匠), Dog (戌) as bowl maker (碗師), and Boar (亥) as artificial flower maker (造花). I am grateful to Robert Pryor for the image and information.
	Title: Description: craftsmen at work–master lumberjack (soma-shi, そま師), master matmaker (tatami-shi, 疂師), master bamboo weaver (kagozaiku-shi, 篭細工師), master cooper (okeya-shi, 桶屋師), master engraver (horimono-shi, ほり物師), master embroiderer (nuihaku-shi, ぬい伯師), master plasterer (sakan-shi, 左官師), and master bow maker (yumi-shi, 弓師). Date: c. 1841-1842 Publisher: koga-ya katsugorô I am grateful to Robert Pryor for the image and information.
Title: Description: Birds performing a variety of kabuki scenes Date: c. 1841 Publisher: Jôshû-ya Kinzô I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image.
	Title: The Seven Lucky Gods (Shichifukujin, 七福神) Description: The seven lucky gods with children Date: c. 1839-1842 Publisher: Jôshû-ya Jûzô Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi giga ga (一勇斎 國芳 戯 画) I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image.
Title: Date: c. 1841 Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi
Title: Description: Actors in various roles Date: c. 1841 Publisher: Izumi-ya Ichibei and Echizen-ya Heisaburô
Title: Fashionable Cats Juggling Balls (流行猫の曲鞠 on left sheet and 流行猫の曲手まり on right sheet) Date: c. 1841 Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Uhei
Title: Fashionable Cats Take on Actorsʼ Roles (流行猫の狂言づくし) Description: Cats as actors in famous scenes from kabuki plays, with an actor bowing to address the audience in the right lower corner Date: c. 1839 Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Uhei
Title: Newly Published Children’s Games (新板 子供あそびの芸以づくし) Size: Ôban about 10 by 14 inches (25 by 36 centimeters) Description: Boys engaged in various tests of strength Date: c. 1836-1838 Publisher: Ise-ya Rihei
Title: Crazy Pictures (Kyôga, 抂画) Description: Minamoto Ushiwakamaru (源牛若丸) amused at the contests while Mutsu no Kami Hidehira (陸奥守秀衡) prepares a neck-wrestling band; Sakata no Kintoki (坂田金時) arm-wrestles with Urabe no Suetake (卜部 季武); Oda Harunaga (織田春長, Oda Nobunaga) cheers on Asahina (朝比奈) as he leg-wrestles with one of the Ashinaga (足長島, long leg islanders), cheered by the tiny islanders; Watanabe no Tsuna (渡邊綱) neck-wrestles with the Irabaki demon near the fallen kinsatsu board (禁札) of Hojo Temple as Hôjô Tokimasa (北條時政) referees and Tomoe Gozen (巴御前) watches; Nenoi Yukichika (根井大弥太) and Tosanobo Shoshun (土佐坊昌俊) wrestle next to a tetsubo; Satsuma-no-kami Tadanori (薩摩守忠度) and Musashibo Benkei (武蔵坊弁慶) take a neck-wrestling tumble; Shitenno Sato四王天左島) and Sato Masakiyo (加藤 清正, Kato Kiyomasa) get neck-wrestling wrong Date: c. 1846-1848 Publisher: NOTE: This diptych is signed Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi giga ga (一勇斎 國芳戯 画). I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image.

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