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. |
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Series: Kôsô Nichiren the Great Bodhisattva (Kôsô Nichiren Dai-bosatsu, 高祖 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. Possibly, Robinson saw only
this print and mistook “Kôsô Nichiren
the Great Bodhisattva” for a series title. |
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Series: Kôsô Nichiren the Great
Bodhisattva (Kôsô Nichiren Dai-bosatsu, 高祖 日蓮大菩薩) Text on lantern: Konpira dai Gongen (金毘羅大權現) Robinson: 135 Description: A beauty
kneeling before a mirror, holding a hairpin Date: c. 1836 Publisher: Probably
Arita-ya Seiemon NOTE: Konpira Gongen (金毘羅権現) is a Japanese deity of the Shugendô sect. |
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I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this
alternate state of the above design with different colors and no publisher’s
seal. |
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I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image with a similar
layout as the preceding prints, but without text on the lantern. The publisher is Izumi-ya
Ichibei (seal name Sen’ichi,
泉市). |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 chűtanzakuban |
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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. |
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Series: Mirror of
Modern Beauties Title: Robinson: Not listed Description: Standing
beauty Date: c. 1835 Publisher: Ômi-ya Heihachi |
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Series: Mirror of
Modern Beauties Title: Robinson: Not listed Description: Standing beauty Date: c. 1835 Publisher Ômi-ya Heihachi: |
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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. |
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Series: Probably
...the Eastern Capital (Tôto..., 東遊玉...) Robinson: Not listed Description: Standing
beauty with bridge inset Date: c. 1833 Publisher: 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. |
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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. |
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A simplified state of the above design |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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Series: Robinson: Not listed Title: Description: Date: c. 1820 Publisher: Shimizu-ya I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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Series: Snow, Moon,
and Flowers (Setsugekka no uchi, 雪月花の内) Robinson: Not listed Title: Moon at
Sekiya (Sekiya… tsuki, 関屋?月) Description: Standing
woman on the shore Date: 7th
month of 1853 Publisher: Kaga-ya Yasubei NOTE: This print may be a reference to a poem by Saigyo. 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, CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO MAIN
PAGE |