Stories of Wise Women and Faithful Wives,
Part I
(Kenjo reppuden, 賢女烈婦傳)
Publisher: Iba-ya Sensaburô (伊場屋仙三郎)
c. 1841-1842
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The
prints in this series are each about 14 by 10 inches (36 by 25 centimeters),
a size known as ôban. I am grateful to Robert Pryor for his
contributions to this series. |
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Title: Anju-hime (安壽姫) Description: Anju-himem,
also known as Princess Anju, carrying water buckets with chidori (wave-birds) flying above her Robinson: S20.1 |
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Another state of the above design with only blue clouds in the
text cartouche |
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Title: Kaga no Chiyo (加賀のチ代) Description: Chiyo of Kaga at a well carrying a bucket Robinson: S20.2 Image courtesy of Richard Illing |
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This state of the above print is a less labor-intensive printing,
which almost invariably means a later edition. The wooden block for the orange clouds was
not used, and the green shading (bokashi) representing grass was
omitted. 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. |
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Another state with only blue clouds in the text cartouche |
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Title: Giô and Gijo (祗王 祇女) Description: Shirabyôshi
dancers Giô and Ginyo
collecting flowers after their retirement as nuns Robinson: S20.3 |
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Another state of the above print |
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Title: Princess Go-ô
(Go-ô-hime,
午王姫) Description: Princess Go-ô
holding a folded paper and a spray of blossoms Robinson: S20.4 Text: The daughter of Yoshitomo’s vassal, Kamata Masakiyo, returned to
the capital from Ushiwaka Oshu
and held a memorial service for the 17th anniversary of Yoshitomo’s death at Engakuji Temple. Princess Ushio also visited this temple
in secret to pray on her father’s death. In the face of Waka, he recommended
that he kill the Taira clan and avenge his father’s death. Leave a good name
for your father (義朝の家臣鎌田政清の女なり 牛若奥州より再び都へ帰り 円覚寺において義朝の十七回忌追善供養を執行ひ給ひけり 牛王姫も父の菩提の為に此寺へ参り ひそかに牛若に対面して平家を亡して御父の仇をむくひ給へとすゝめしとか 後平家の館に囚れ牛若の行衛を責とはれしに 白状におよばず 一命すて誠に君父の為にいさぎよき名を残しけり) |
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Another state of the above design |
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Title: Hangaku-jo (板額女) Description: Hangaku-jo wearing a hair band and kimono over armor Robinson: S20.5 |
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Another state of the above design |
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Title: The maidservant Hatsu-jo (婢初女) Description: Hatsu-jo drinking from a
dipper at a garden tank in a shower of rain Robinson: S20.6 |
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Another state of the above with red clouds in the text cartouche |
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This is a less labor-intensive printing of the above design,
which almost invariably means a later edition. The woodblock used to print dark blue on
the garden tank and in the text cartouche was omitted. |
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Title: Hatsu-hana (初花) Description: Hatsu-hana in
prayer under the Gongen Waterfall which resulted in the cure of her crippled
husband Robinson: S20.7 |
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Another state of the above design with green clouds in the text
cartouche |
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Title: Hotoke-gozen (佛御前) Description: Hotoke-gozen reading a poem on a soji screen with the aid of a
lantern Robinson: S20.8 |
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Another state with orange clouds in text cartouche |
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Another state without grey background in flower painting and blue
and grey clouds in the title cartouche |
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Another state without grey background in flower painting, a
purple kimono, and blue and black clouds in the title cartouche |
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Another state without grey background in flower painting and blue
and green clouds in the title cartouche |
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Title: Hyakuman (百萬) Description: Hyakuman of Robinson: S20.9 |
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Title: Izumi-shikibu (和泉式部) Description: Izumi-shikibu on a visit to Kamo
Shrine Robinson: S20.10 |
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“Robinson” refers to listing in Kuniyoshi: The Warrior-Prints by Basil William Robinson (Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, 1982) and its privately published supplement.
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