Kuniyoshi’s Signatures
Below
are typical signatures of Kuniyoshi’s from different years. Like most artists, his signature changed over
time, and these changes may be used to date Kuniyoshi’s prints. Censor’s seals, the presence or absence of
actors’ names, identifiable kabuki
productions, and more nebulous stylistic considerations may also be used. The subject of dating Kuniyoshi’s prints is
dealt with extensively in the book Kuniyoshi
by Basil William Robinson (1961, Victoria and Albert Museum, London).
Kuniyoshi
signed his name 國芳. However, his
name is written as 国芳 in
modern Japanese, the latter generally being more useful when searching the
internet.
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Year: 1816 Signature: Saihôsha Kuniyoshi ga
(採芳舎 國芳 画) |
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Year: 1820 Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga
(一勇斎 國芳 画) |
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Year: 1824 Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga
(一勇斎 國芳 画) |
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Year: 1827 Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga
(一勇斎 國芳 画) |
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Year: 1831 Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga
(一勇斎 國芳 画) |
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Year: 1831 Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga
(一勇斎 國よし 画) The “yoshi” character is written in hiragana as よし instead of the
usual 芳. |
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Year: 1832 Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga
(一勇斎 國芳 画) |
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Year: 1833 Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga
(一勇斎 國芳 画) |
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Year: 1834 Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga
(一勇斎 國芳 画) |
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Year: 1836 Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga
(一勇斎 國芳 画) |
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Year: 1836 Signature: Chô-ô-rô Kuniyoshi ga (朝櫻楼 國芳 画) in gourd-shaped
cartouche |
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Year: 1838 Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga
(一勇斎 國芳 画) |
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Year: 1839 Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga
(一勇斎 國芳 画) |
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Year: c. 1839 Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi giga
(一勇斎 國芳戯画, playfully
drawn by Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi) |
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Year: c. 1839 Signature: Ichiyûsai hitsu (一勇斎 筆, drawn with
brush by Ichiyûsai) |
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Year: 1840 Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga
(一勇斎 國芳 画) with Toshidama seal |
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Year: 1840 Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga
(一勇斎 國芳 画) in
gourd-shaped Toshidama seal |
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Year: c. 1840 Text: Gakô Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi
(画工 一勇斎 國芳) “Gakô” translates as painter or
as artist. This is not a signature; it
is not in Kuniyoshi’s handwriting. |
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Year: 1841 Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga
(一勇斎 國芳 画) |
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Year: 1842 Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga
(一勇斎 國芳 画) |
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Signature: Chô-ô-rô Kuniyoshi ga (朝櫻楼 國芳 画) |
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Year: 1842 or 1843 Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga
(一勇斎 國芳 画) in an
elongated Toshidama seal |
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Year: 1843 Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga
(一勇斎 國芳 画) |
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Year: 1845 Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga
(一勇斎 國芳 画) with Yoshi
Kiri seal |
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Year: 1845 Signature: Chô-ô-rô Kuniyoshi ga (朝櫻楼 國芳 画) with Yoshi
Kiri seal |
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Year: 1846 Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga
(一勇斎 國芳 画) with Yoshi Kiri
seal |
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Year: 1847 Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga
(一勇斎 國芳 画) with Yoshi
Kiri seal |
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Year: 1848 Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga
(一勇斎 國芳 画) with Yoshi
Kiri seal |
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Year: 1848 Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga
(一勇斎 國芳 画) |
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Year: c. 1848 Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi giga ga (一勇斎 國芳 戯 画) with Yoshi
Kiri seal “Giga” means comic print. |
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Year: c. 1848 Signature: Shigen no ô ju, Kuniyoshi
ga (梓え乃應需 國芳 画) This signature translates as “By special
request of the publisher, Kuniyoshi ga”. It is probably a forged signature. |
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Year: 1849 Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga
(一勇斎 國芳 画) with Yoshi
Kiri seal |
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Year: 1849 Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi hitsu (一勇斎 國芳 筆) with Yoshi Kiri
seal |
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Year: 1849 Signature: Ichiyûsai giga (一勇斎 戯画) with Yoshi
Kiri seal “Giga” means comic print. |
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Year: 1850 Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga
(一勇斎 國芳 画) with Yoshi
Kiri seal |
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Year: 1851 Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga
(一勇斎 國芳 画) |
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Year: 1852 Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga
(一勇斎 國芳 画) in
gourd-shaped cartouche with Yoshi Kiri seal
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Year: 1853 Signature: Igusa Kuniyoshi kinsha (井草 國芳 謹写, faithfully
rendered by Igusa Kuniyoshi) |
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Year: 1854 Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga
(一勇斎 國芳 画) |
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Year: 1854 Signature: Chô-ô-rô (朝櫻楼) and Kuniyoshi
ga (國芳 画) in separate
panels |
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Year: 1854 Signature: Ichiyûsai Ikusa Kuniyoshi (一勇斎井草國芳) |
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Year: 1855 Signature: Ichiyûsai (一勇斎) and Kuniyoshi
ga (國芳 画) in separate
panels |
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Year: 1856 Signature: Ichiyûsai (一勇斎) and Kuniyoshi
ga (國芳 画) in separate
panels |
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Year: 1857 Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga
(一勇斎 國芳 画) in
gourd-shaped Toshidama seal |
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Year: 1860 Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga
(一勇斎 國芳 画) with Yoshi
Kiri seal |
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Year: 1860 Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga
(一勇斎 國芳 画) with Yoshi
Kiri seal |
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Year: 1860 Signature: Kuniyoshi ga (國芳 画) with Yoshi
Kiri seal |
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