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.

	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, 夏) 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 chûtanzakuban
	Series: Possibly from an unidentified series Title: Robinson: Not listed Description: Standing beauty holding a cat Date: c. 1843-1846 Publisher: Masugindô
	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:
	Series: 小林屋内 Title: 月? 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: Title: Robinson: Not listed Description: Standing beauty Date: 1846-1848 (censors Muramatsu and Yoshimura) Publisher: Ebi-ya Rinnosuke NOTE: This could be one sheet from a triptych.
	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: 弘化頃 Robinson: Not listed Title: 白梅と... Description: Woman with a cat Date: 1844-1845 (censor Tanaka) Publisher: Maru-ya Seijirô
	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: 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.

CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO MAIN PAGE