The Five Festivals

(Go sekku, 五節句)

Publisher: Maru-ya Seijirô

c. 1843

This series shows beautiful women in scenes suggesting one of the five festivals. The five festivals are Jinjitsu (January 7) Feast of the Seven Herbs or Mankind’s Day; Johshi (March 3) Doll Festival or Girls’ Day; Tango (May 5) Boys’ Day; Tanabata (July 7) Star Festival or Seventh Night; and Choyo (September 9) the Chrysanthemum Festival. The series is listed as number 86 in Kuniyoshi by Basil William Robinson (Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1961). The prints are each about 14 by 10 inches (36 by 25 centimeters), a size known as ôban. I am grateful to Robert Pryor for contributing to this series.

	Title: Feast of the Seven Herbs (Mutsuk, 睦月) Date: January 7^th Description: Beauty bouncing ball with herbs behind her
	Title: Doll Festival (Yayoi, 弥生) Date: March 3^rd Description: Woman digging for clams next to a giant anchor
	Title: Boys’ Day (Satsuki, 早月) Date: May 5^th Description: Woman dressing small boy
	Title: Star Festival (Fumitsuki, 文月) Date: July 7^th Description: Woman holding a fan on a windy day
	Title: Chrysanthemum Festival (Nagatsuki, 長月) Date: September 9^th (9^th day of the 9^th month) Description: Woman with chrysanthemums
	I am grateful to Jerry Vegder for this alternate state of the above design.

“Robinson” indicates listing in Kuniyoshi by Basil William Robinson, 1961, Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

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