Modern Style Set of the Provinces in Edo Brocade, Part I

(Kôto nishiki imayô kuni-dzukushi, 江戸錦今様國盡)

1852

This series is listed as number 171 in Kuniyoshi by Basil William Robinson (Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1961). The prints in this series are each about 14 by 10 inches (36 by 25 centimeters), a size known as ôban.

	Number: 1 Upper panel: Yamashiro Province; Poetess Ono no Komachi (小野小町) seated with a servant Lower panel: Yamato Province; actor Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII as Koganosuke (久我之助) in Imoseyama onna teikin (Imoseyama, an Example of Womanly Virtue) Publisher: Mita-ya Kihachi
	This is another version of the above print. It is a less labor-intensive printing than the above, which almost invariably means a later edition. In this print, the delicate shading (bokashi) in the background of the upper picture and in the title cartouche was omitted. The bokashi in the river was simplified and is less naturalistic. Bokashi was achieved by hand-applying a gradation of ink to the wooden printing block rather than inking the block uniformly. This hand-application had to be repeated for each sheet of paper that was printed.
	Number: 2 Upper panel: Kawachi Province; Kusunoki Masashige (楠正成) seated reading a scroll in his tent Lower panel: Izumi Province; actor Bandô Shûka I as the fox-woman Kuzunoha (葛の葉) with a brush in her mouth, writing a farewell poem on the shoji in the kabuki play Ashiya dauman ochi kagami Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei NOTE: Kusunoki Masashige was a 14th century samurai who fought for Emperor Go-Daigo in his attempt to wrest rulership of Japan away from the Kamakura Shogunate, then under the leadership of the Hojo clan
	Number: 3 Upper panel: Settsu Province; the lovers O-Some and Hisamatsu Lower panel: Iga Province, actor Ichikawa Hirogorô as the servant of Sawai Matagoro Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei
	Number: 4 Upper panel: Ise Province; O-Han of the Shinano-ya on the beach opposite the “wedded rocks” at Ise with a servant adjusting her sandals Lower panel: Shima Province; actor Arashi Rikan III as the aunt of Fukuoka Mitsugi (福岡貢伯母) carrying a scroll box Publisher: Mita-ya Kihachi
	Number: 5 Upper panel: Owari Province; Watanabe no Tsuna, standing at a tree watching Usui no Sadamitsu, a child of great strength Lower panel: Mikawa Province; actor Iwai Kumesaburô III as Ushiwakamaru looking back at Joruri-hime carrying a lantern Publisher: Mita-ya Kihachi
	Number: 6 Upper panel: Tôtômi Province; a woman with a walking stick followed by two children on the shore Lower panel: Suruga Province; actor Sawamura Sojûrô V as Jugobei with a figure following him Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei
	Number: 7 Upper panel: Kai Province; Takeda Shingeni (武田信玄) hiding in reeds at Kawanakajima with three followers behind him Lower panel: Izu Province; actor Onoe Baikô as Mishima Osen (三島おせん) in the kabuki play Azuma kudari gojusan tsugi Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei
	Number: 8 Upper panel: Sagami Province; Aoto Fujitsuna (青砥藤綱) holding a lantern on a jetty Lower panel: Musashi Province; actor Onoe Kikugorô III as Omatsuri Sashichi (お祭佐七) with Mt. Fuji in the background Publisher: Mita-ya Kihachi
	Number: 9 Upper panel: Awa Province; Inuta Kobungo (犬田小文吾) wrestling over a woman and a child Lower panel: Kazusa Province; actor Ichikawa Ebizô V as the wrestler Shirafuji Genda (白藤源太) Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei
	Number: 10 Upper panel: Shimôsa Province; Asakura Togo (浅倉當吾) with his petition walking through a river Lower panel: Hitachi Province; actor Ichikawa Kikujirô II as the wife of Oguri Tsuma Kohagi (小栗妻小萩), before a waterfall Publisher: Mita-ya Kihachi
	Number: 11 Upper panel: Ômi Province; three women in front of the Hagi Tamagawa (萩の玉川, one of the “Jewel Rivers”) Lower panel: Mino Province; actor Iwai Hanshiro VI as Mikatsu (三勝) Publisher: Mita-ya Kihachi
	Number: 12 Upper panel: Hida Province; a Hida woodcarver at work on a giant bird Lower panel: Shinano Province; actor Iwai Hanshiro VII as Yaegaki-hime, holding the helmet of her father, Takeda Shingen Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei
	Number: 13 Upper panel: Kôzuke Province; Yamato-dake-no-mikoto Takeru (日本武尊,) on the side of a mountain Lower panel: Shimotsuke Province; actor Bandô Shûka I as courtesan Yatsuhashi (八つはし) in the kabuki play Yukari no hana iro mo Yoshiwara Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei
	Number: 14 Upper panel: Mutsu Province; two women kneeling Lower panel: Dewa Province; actor Nakamura Kanemon IV as Satô Shirô Tadanobu in the kabuki play Yoshitsune Senbon zakura Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei
	Number: 15 Upper panel: Wakasa Province; scene from the first act of the kabuki play Kanadehon Chûshingura with Lady Kawayo watching Moronao ascend the steps of the Hachiman Shrine Lower panel: Echizen Province; actor Iwai Kumesaburô III in female role and actor Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII in male role Publisher: Mita-ya Kihachi
	Number: 16 Upper panel: Kaga Province; Chiyo-jo (千代女) with a wooden bucket at a well Lower panel: Noto Province; actor Matsumoto Kôshirô V in kumadori make-up as Noto-no-kami Noritsune (能登守教経) in Yoshitsune Senbon zakura (裏表千本桜) Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei
	Number: 17 Upper panel: Etchû Province; priest Ikkyu Zenji (一休禅師) with a young attendant and the courtesan Jigoku Dayu (地獄太夫) kneeling outside Lower panel: Echigo Province; actor Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII as Jiraiya (児雷也), a Robin Hood-like bandit who appeared in a series of plays Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei
	Number: 18 Upper panel: Sado Province; Benkei and Ushiwaka Lower panel: Tamba Province; actor Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII as Date no Yosaku in the kabuki play Koinyobo somewake tazuna Publisher: Mita-ya Kihachi

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