Miscellaneous series of beautiful women

 

Prints of beautiful women (bijin) are known as bijin-ga.  These prints are each about 14 by 10 inches (36 by 25 centimeters), a size known as ôban.  I am grateful to Ward Pieters for assisting with this section.

 

Series: Amusing Select Comparisons of Birds and Trees (Tawamure mitate chô-mokuawase)

Robinson: 158

Title:

Description: Beauty with cat; human hand with wings in inset

Date: c. 1845

Publisher: Unidentified

 

 

Series: Famous Views of Edo Mirrored by Beautiful Girls (Edo meisho bijin kagami, 江戸名所美人鏡)

Robinson: 144

Title: Mukôjima (向島)

Description:

Date: c. 1833

Publisher: Izumi-ya Ichibei (Kansendô)

 

 

Series: Famous Views of Edo Mirrored by Beautiful Girls (Edo meisho bijin kagami, 江戸名所美人鏡)

Robinson: 144

Title:

Description:

Date: c. 1833

Publisher: Izumi-ya Ichibei (Kansendô)

 

 

Series: Moonlight Views of the Eastern Capital (Tôto tsuki no meisho)

Robinson: 87

Title: Moon at Ryôgoku Bridge (Ryôgoku no tsuki)

Description: Beauty with cat

Date: c. 1840

Publisher: Unidentified

 

 

 

Another state of the above print

 

Series: Moonlight Views of the Eastern Capital (Tôto tsuki no meisho)

Robinson: 87

Title:

Description: Courtesan on parade in her Spring finery with a view of the Sumidagawa behind her

Date: c. 1840

Publisher: Unidentified

 

 

 

Series: Comparison of Modern Beauties for the Five Festivals (Tôsei bijin awase gosekku no uchi)

Robinson: Not listed

Title: Kiku no tsuki (菊月) Chrysanthemum Festival

Description:

Date:

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Chôzô

 

Series: Comparison of Modern Beauties for the Five Festivals (Tôsei bijin awase gosekku no uchi)

Robinson: Not listed

Title: Tanabata (七夕) Star Festival or Seventh Night on July 7

Description:

Date: c. 1845

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Chôzô

 

Series: Sundial of Modern Tradesmen (Tôsei akindo hidokei, 当世商人日時計)

Robinson: Not listed

Time: Eight o’clock in the morning (Hi itsutsu no toki)

Tradesman: Flower seller

Beauty: Woman brushing her teeth

Date: 1821-1823

Publisher: Tsumura-ya Saburobei

 

 

 

Series: Sundial of Modern Tradesmen (Tôsei akindo hidokei, 当世商人日時計)

Robinson: Not listed

Time: Noon (Hi kokonotsu no toki)

Tradesman: Fishmonger with a dog

Beauty: Woman playing with a cat

Date: 1821-1823

Publisher: Tsumura-ya Saburobei

 

 

 

Series: Sundial of Modern Tradesmen (Tôsei akindo hidokei, 当世商人日時計)

Robinson: Not listed

Time: Four o’clock in the afternoon (Hi nanatsu no toki)

Tradesman: Water seller

Beauty: Woman writing

Date: 1821-1823

Publisher: Tsumura-ya Saburobei

 

 

Series: Modern Comparison of Beauties (Tôsei bijin awase)

Robinson: Not listed, but another series having the same title is listed as number 154

Title:

Description:

Date:

Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tobei

 

 

 

 

Series: Beauties Mirrored in the Forms of Flowers (Sugata hana bijin kagami)

Robinson: 96

Title:

Description: Study of the courtesan Toyo-oka from the house of Okamoto-ya

Date: ca. 1836

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Chôzô

 

 

Series: The Four Seasons (Shiki no uchi, 四季之内)

Robinson: Not listed

Title: Autumn (Aki)

Description: Beauty on a boat under a bridge

Date: 1843

Publisher: Nuno-Kichi

 

Series: The Four Seasons (Shiki no uchi, 四季之内)

Robinson: Not listed

Title: Winter (Fuyu, )

Description: Beauty in the snow

Date: 1843

Publisher: Nuno-Kichi

 

Series: Untitled

Robinson: Not listed

Description: Beauty seated in a kotatsu watching the snow

Date: c. 1824

Publisher: Ezaki-ya Kichibei

 

Series: Untitled

Robinson: Not listed

Description: Miyatogawa

Date: c. 1824

Publisher: Ezaki-ya Kichibei

 

Series: Untitled

Robinson: Not listed

Description: The courtesan Monhiko of the Ômi-ya House in front of a paper lantern inscribed “Ômi-ya Monhiko

Date: c. 1824

Publisher: Ezaki-ya Kichibei

 

Series: Untitled series of the five elements (gogyô)

Robinson: Not listed

Element: Earth (Tsuchi, )

Description: Standing beauty

Date:

Publisher: Fujioka-ya Hikotarô (Shôgendô)

 

NOTE: The five elements are wood (ki), fire (hi), earth (tsuchi), metal (kane) and water (mizu).  They do not represent the modern scientific concept of elements as fundamental substances out of which all things are composed.  Rather, they represent categories and concepts to which all things can be likened and by which analysed in a spiritual or philosophical manner.  

 

Another state of the above print

 

Series: Untitled series of the five elements (gogyô)

Robinson: Not listed

Element: Metal (Kin, )

Description: Fulling silk

Date:

Publisher: Fujioka-ya Hikotarô (Shôgendô)

 

Series: Series of Famous Views of the Provinces Illustrated (Shokoku meisho zusho)

Robinson: 1

Province: Kanazawa with a view of Soshin inset

Description: Beauty cooling off with a fan

Date: c. 1850

Publisher: Shimizu-ya

 

NOTE: A prints, such as this, that is printed entirely or primarily in blue is known as an aizuri-e.

 

Series: Series of Famous Views of the Provinces Illustrated (Shokoku meisho zusho)

Robinson: 1

Province: 

Description: Beauty with pipe reading

Date: c. 1850

Publisher: Shimizu-ya

 

Series: Series of Famous Views of the Provinces Illustrated (Shokoku meisho zusho)

Robinson: 1

Province: Kyoto

Description: Standing beauty

Date: c. 1850

Publisher: Shimizu-ya

   ‘Robinson’ indicates listing in Kuniyoshi by Basil William Robinson, 1961, Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

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