Surimono of miscellaneous subjects
|
Description: Two ladies
watching boys catching fireflies with bamboo sticks. The women were draw by Utagawa Kuninao and the children were drawn by Kuniyoshi. Size: Nagaban
(approximately 8 by 20 inches or 20 by 50 centimeters) Date: c. 1835 Schaap: 1.a.1 |
|
|
Description: A minogame (thousand-year-old tortoise)
appearing to the seven gods of good luck all dressed as figures from Japanese
history and legend Size: Nagaban
(approximately 8 by 20 inches or 20 by 50 centimeters) Date: c. 1836 Schaap: 1.a.2 |
|
|
Description: Detail of the
trunk of a large flowering cherry tree Size: Date: c. 1835 Schaap: 1.a.3 |
|
|
No image
available Description: A plum tree Size: Date: c. 1835 Schaap: 1.a.4 |
|
|
Description: Autumn
grasses and a full moon Size: Nagaban
(approximately 8 by 20 inches or 20 by 50 centimeters) Date: c. 1831 Schaap: 1.a.5 |
|
|
No image
available Description: Autumn
grasses and a full moon Size: Nagaban (approximately
8 by 20 inches or 20 by 50 centimeters) Date: c. 1831 Schaap: 1.a.6 NOTE: This surimono is unsigned and different
from the above print. |
|
|
Description: A three
footed dish (shimadai, 島台) with a
miniature representation of the Takasago pine with the old couple Joo and
Uba, the thousand-year tortoise, and a flying crane Size: Nagaban
(approximately 8 by 20 inches or 20 by 50 centimeters) Date: 1830-1840 Schaap: 1.a.8 NOTE: The pine, tortoise and crane are symbols of longevity, fortune and
lifelong partnership. They were
displayed at weddings and at significantly numbered wedding
anniversaries. This surimono
was probably made for a wedding or anniversary. I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this
information. |
|
|
Description: The seven
gods of good luck (Shichifukujin, 七福神) imitating the
five annual festivals. Size: Horizontal
double ôban; 38.1 x 51.6 cm (15 x 20 5/16 in.) Date: 1832-1833 Publisher: Iga-ya Kan'emon Schaap: 1.b.5 NOTE: This surimono bears the signatures of 10
different artists. Only Bishamonten, in the bottom center, is signed by
Kuniyoshi. |
|
|
Description: The seven
gods of good luck being entertained by a chanter Size: 40.6 by 55.8
centimeters Date: Schaap: 1.b.6 |
|
|
Description: The warrior Hatakeyama
no Shigetada (1164-1205) carrying his horse down a
steep cliff Size: 5.25 x 7.25
inches (13.3 x 18.4 cm) Date: 1848 Schaap: 1.c.4 |
|
|
Another state of the above design. In addition to being a surimono,
this print is also an e-goyomi (絵暦), meaning that it has concealed numbers indicating the long and short
months of the year:
|
|
|
No image
available Description: A dragon in a
dark cloud rising to the top of Size: 18.4 by 24.5
centimeters Date: probably 1844
Schaap: 1.c.5 |
|
|
Description: A hare and a
badger standing by a plum tree in a scene from a kabuki play Size: 12.0 by 16.0
centimeters Date: 1855 Schaap: 1.c.6 NOTE: This print is a calendar (e-goyomi). The animals are holding a banner listing
the long (大) and short (小) months of the year. I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this
image. |
|
|
|
Description: A spray of
camellia, a bamboo tea scoop (chashaku) and a small turtle-shape box with a lid Size: 45 by 37
centimeters Date: Schaap: 1.c.7 NOTE: The unusual
size suggests that this is a fragment of a larger surimono. |
|
|
Title: A series of
two on the stories of the Han and Chû (Kansô niban no uchi) Description: Huang Shigong (Kosekiho) and Zhang
Liang (Choryo) Size: 41.3 × 16.5
cm (16 ¼ × 6 ½ inches) Date: c. 1834 NOTE: This surimono
is unsigned, and therefore the attribution must be considered tentative. |
|
No image
available |
Description: Portrait of
the sumô wrestler Hirado Hiiryokubi Size: Date: Schaap: 2.8 |
|
|
Description: Hattara Sonji, a disciple of Buddha, with his white tiger
Size: Date: 1830 Schaap: 2.9 |
|
|
Another state of the above design in
which the tiger is yellow-orange |
|
|
Description: Guan Yu, Liu
Bei, and Zhang Fei (the three heroes of the Chinese kingdom of Shu) playing a
game of ken Size: Date: c. 1840 Schaap: 2.10 |
|
|
Description: Still life of
a koto, a
branch of plum in a bronze vase, a kimono
and a scroll painting of Size: Shikishiban
(about 8 by 7 inches or 21 by 18 centimeters) Date: Schaap: 4.2 |
|
|
I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this
alternate state with different poems. |
|
|
Description: Similar to
above with different pattern on the kimono,
different poems, and lacking emblem of the Taikogawa
poetry group in right-upper corner Size: Shikishiban
(about 8 by 7 inches or 21 by 18 centimeters) Date: Schaap: 4.2b |
|
|
Description: Three open
fans alluding to three noh
plays Size: Shikishiban
(about 8 by 7 inches or 21 by 18 centimeters) Date: c. 1840 Schaap: 4.3 NOTE: The three fans are decorated with items used in
the sanbasô dance in both no and kabuki
plays. I am grateful to Michel Ouellet
for locating this image. |
|
No image
available |
Title: Harimaze jôruri kagami
oishi Description: Size: Date: c. 1854 Schaap: 4.4 |
|
|
Description: Bird flying Size: Date: Schaap: Not listed |
|
|
Description: Mice at play Size: Shikishiban
(about 8 by 7 inches or 21 by 18 Date:
Schaap: Not listed I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this
image. |
|
Description: Children
playing in the snow Size: Nagaban
(approximately 8 by 20 inches or 20 by 50 centimeters) Date: 1826 Schaap: Not listed |
|
|
Title: Size: Date: Schaap: Not listed Note: This is an
advertising print (hikifuda)
and not a true surimono. Image and information courtesy of Guy Pepermans |
|
|
Description: Size: Date: Schaap: Not listed |
|
|
Description: Steaming
vessel with poem Size: Date: Schaap: Not listed |
|
|
Description: Dragon and
Mt. Fuji Size: 18.5 x 24.5
cm Date: c. 1837-1840 Schaap: Not listed I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image. |
|
|
Description: Geisha
offering a drink to a samurai Size: 11.5×16.5 cm Date: 1854 Schaap: Not listed |
|
|
Description: A gentleman followed
by porters carrying a good luck money tree and other New Year’s gifts Size: 13.5 x 15 cm Date: c. 1841-1842 Schaap: Not listed NOTE: The text on the
porter carrying the gift box reads Kubota (久保田), which is present presant
day Akita Prefecture. I am grateful to
Robert Pryor for this image. |
|
|
“Schaap”
refers to listing in Heroes and Ghosts:
Japanese Prints by Kuniyoshi by Robert Schaap (Hotei Publishing, Leiden,
1998). CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO MAIN
PAGE
|
