Miscellaneous prints of acrobats, top spinners,
magicians, and puppeteers
Part I
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In
Japan, both children and adults play with spinning tops (koma, 独楽), often competitively. Most of these prints deal with public performances
of top spinning by professional entertainers.
Unless otherwise indicated, each sheet is about 14 by 10 inches (36 by
25 centimeters), a size known as ôban.
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Text: 浅草境内ニ於テ 曲獨楽奥山傳司, 細工人竹田縫殿之助, 竹田岩次郎／菊車 Description: A
spinning-top performance by Okuyama Denji (獨楽奥山傳司) Date: 1842-1846 Publisher: Minato-ya Kohei |
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Text: 浅草境内ニ於テ 曲獨楽奥山傳司, 細工人竹田縫殿之助, 竹田岩次郎 Description: A
spinning-top performance by Okuyama Denji (獨楽奥山傳司) Date: 1842-1846 Publisher: Minato-ya Kohei I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image. |
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Title: Description: A
spinning-top performance by Takezawa Toji (竹澤 藤次) Date: 1844 (censor
Muramatsu Genroku) Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei |
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Title: Description: Takezawa Toji (竹澤 藤次), whose crest
is on the fan, conjuring up a dragon Date: 1842-1846 Publisher: |
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Title: Takezawa Tôji, the Best Performer with Spinning Tops Description: Date: 1844 Publisher: Fujioka-ya Hikotarô |
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Title: Description: Ball performance
by the juggler Kikukawa Kunimaru Date: 1841 Publisher: NOTE: This print is
about 14 by 6.5 inches (36 by 17 centimeters), a size known as ôtanzakuban. |
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Title: 曲獨楽 奥山傳司 Text: 浅草於境内, 細工人竹田縫殿之助, 竹田岩次郎, 大仕掛 Description: A performance
by Okuyama Denji (獨楽奥山傳司) and two
children Date: 1842-1846 Publisher: Minato-ya Kohei |
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Title: Description: Date: 1842-1846 Publisher: |
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Title: Description: Date: c. 1848
(censor Murata Sahei) Publisher: Kiku-ya Kôsaburô |
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Title: Description: Date: c. 1845-1846 Publisher: Man (phonetic
reading of 万) |
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Title: Description: Date: 1846-1852 Publisher: Murata-ya Ichibei |
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Series: Various Provinces in the 12 Months (諸国十二ヶ月ノ内) Subtitle: 2nd
Month at Fushimi Shrine (二月伏見) Description: Date: 1846-1852 Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei |
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Series: Various Provinces in the 12 Months (諸国十二ヶ月ノ内) Subtitle: 3rd Month in Kishu (記洲の三月) Description: Takezawa Tôji (竹澤 藤次) Date: 1846-1852 Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei |
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Title: Premier Top
Spinning Tricks by Takezawa Tôji (一流曲独楽 竹沢藤次) Description: Takezawa Tôji withing spinning tops Date: 1844 Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei |
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Title: None Description: Date: 1846-1852 Publisher: No seal |
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Text: 浅草観世音地内ニおいて 曲獨楽奥山傳司, 細工人竹田縫殿之助 五節句（弥生ヵ） Description: A
spinning-top performance by Okuyama Denji (獨楽奥山傳司) Date: 1842-1846 Publisher: Murata-ya Ichibei (seal name Muraichi, 村市) I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image. |
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Title: Spinning
tricks performed by Takezawa Tôji (曲独楽 竹澤藤次) Description: Takezawa Tôji (竹澤 藤次) with spinning
top and ghost Date: 1843-1846
(censor Muramatsu Genroku) Publisher: Maru-ya Seijirô |
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Text: 竹澤藤治改竹澤梅升, 両国広小路ニ於相勤申候 Description: Date: 1846-1852 Publisher: Hayashi-ya Shôgorô |
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Title: A
spinning-top performance by Takezawa Baisho (御なじミ竹澤藤治改竹澤梅升, 両国広小路相勤申候) Description: Date: 1846-1852 Publisher: Hayashi-ya Shôgorô |
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Title: Description: Date: 1842-1846 Publisher: Probably
Minato-ya Kohei |
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Description: The Bunraku puppet master Yoshida Hyôkichi (吉田兵吉) performing
the play Banchô Sarayashiki
(播州皿屋鋪), which is
based on the Okiku ghost story Date: c. 1833-1835 Publisher: Ômi-ya Heihachi I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image and information. |
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Another state of the above design |
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Description: Takezawa Tôji (竹沢藤治) standing
under a waterfall with a spinning top Date: 1842-1846 Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei I am grateful to Michel Ouellet for this image. |
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“Robinson” refers to listing of the series in Kuniyoshi by Basil William Robinson (Victoria
and Albert Museum, London, 1961).
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