Miscellaneous series of beautiful women

 

Prints of beautiful women (bijin, 美人) are known as bijin-ga.  Unless otherwise stated, 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.

          

 

Rob

 

Series: Kôsô Nichiren the Great Bodhisattva (Kôsô Nichiren Dai-bosatsu, 日蓮大菩薩)

Title:

Robinson: 135

Description: A beauty kneeling before a mirror, holding a hairpin

Date: c. 1836

Publisher: No seal

 

NOTE: Kôsô Nichiren was a Buddhist priest who lived from 1222 to 1282.  He has had various miracles attributed to him and founded the Nichiren sect of Buddhism, of which Kuniyoshi was an adherent.

 

 

Series: Kôsô Nichiren the Great Bodhisattva (Kôsô Nichiren Dai-bosatsu, 日蓮大菩薩)

Title:

Robinson: 135

Description: A beauty kneeling before a mirror, holding a hairpin

Date: c. 1836

Publisher: Probably Arita-ya Seiemon

 

Series: Modern Seven Autumn Plants (Imayô aki no nanakusa, 今世婦秋の七草 or 今世婦秋乃七草)

Robinson: 164

Title:

Description: A beauty standing before ominaeshi (golden lace, オミナエシ)

Date: c. 1850

Publisher: Izumi-ya Ichibei

 

 

Series: Modern Seven Autumn Plants (Imayô aki no nanakusa, 今世婦秋の七草 or 今世婦秋乃七草)

Robinson: 164

Title: Hagi no hana ni mitate (萩の花に見立)

Description: Woman with flowering plant

Date: 1849-1851 (censors Fuku and Muramatsu)

Publisher: Izumi-ya Ichibei

 

 

 

 

Series: The Four Seasons (Shiki, 四季)

Season: Summer (Natsu, )

Robinson: Not listed

Description: Beauty with a fan

Date: 1843-1846 (censor Hama Yahei)

Publisher: Masuda-ya Ginjirô

 

NOTE: This print is about 14 by 5 inches (36 by 13 centimeters), a size known as chűtanzakuban

 

Series: Possibly from an unidentified series

Title:

Robinson: Not listed

Description: Standing beauty holding a cat

Date: 1842-1846 (censor Fukatsu Ihei)

Publisher: Masugindô

 

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image.

Kuniyoshi - Mirror of Modern Beauties, Bijin Walking in Wind

 

Series: Mirror of Modern Beauties

Title:

Robinson: Not listed

Description: Standing beauty

Date: c. 1835

Publisher: Ômi-ya Heihachi

 

Series: Mirror of Modern Beauties

Title:

Robinson: Not listed

Description: Standing beauty

Date: c. 1835

Publisher Ômi-ya Heihachi:

1828-Robinson Collection

 

Series: 小林屋内

Title: ?

Robinson: Not listed

Description: Beauty with a koto and another with a fan

Date: c. 1832

Publisher: Ezaki-ya Tatsuzô

 

NOTE: This print may not be from a series.

 

Series: Probably ...the Eastern Capital (Tôto..., 東遊玉...)

Robinson: Not listed

Description: Standing beauty with bridge inset

Date: c. 1833

Publisher: Edo-ya Matsugorô   

 

NOTE: A print in the series Famous Views of Edo (Edo meisho, 江戸名所) uses many of the same woodblocks as this print.  I am grateful to Hugo Francot and Paul Adriaenssens for this image.

 

Series:

Robinson: Not listed

Description: Standing woman with a cat

Date: 1844-1845 (censor Tanaka)

Publisher: Maru-ya Seijirô

 

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image.

A beauty and a dog, c

 

A simplified state of the above design

 

 

 

Series:

Robinson: Not listed

Description: Woman holding a tray with a fish and a cat at her feet

Date: 1844-1845 (censor Tanaka)

Publisher: Maru-ya Seijirô

 

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image.

 

 

Series:

Robinson: Not listed

Title: Chrysanthemum Viewing Month, ie September (kikumizuki, 菊見月)

Description: Woman with chrysanthemums

Date: 1844-1845 (censor Tanaka)

Publisher: Maru-ya Seijirô

 

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image.

 

 

Series:

Robinson: Not listed

Description: Woman with an insect cage

Date: 1843-1846

Publisher: Maru-ya Seijirô

 

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image.

 

 

Series:

Robinson: Not listed

Title:

Description:

Date: c. 1820

Publisher: Shimizu-ya

 

 

 

Series: Famous Places in Edo Illustrated (Tôto meisho zue, 東都名所圖會)

Robinson: Not listed

Description: Beauty with descending cuckoo

Inset: Choumeiji Temple in Tokyo (Sumidagawa Chomeiji, 角田川 長命寺)

Date: c. 1835

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Shôzô

 

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image.

 

 

Series: Seven Wise Women of Japan (Yamato shichikenjo, 倭七賢女)

Robinson: Not listed

Description: Eguchi no Kimi (江口の君) and Gion no Kajiko (祇園梶子)

Date: c. 1836

Publisher:

 

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this drawing for an unpublished series.

 

 

 

Series: Possibly from an untitled series of beautiful women

Robinson: Not listed

Title: None

Description: Standing woman with birds in flight

Date: 1843-1846 (censor Muramatsu Genroku)

Publisher: Maru-ya Seijirô

 

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image. 

Series: Possibly from an untitled series of beautiful women

Robinson: Not listed

Title: None

Description: Woman next to bucket holding a rod

Date: 1843-1846 (censor Muramatsu Genroku)

Publisher: Maru-ya Seijirô

 

Two states of the same design are shown. 

       

 

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

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